Background and Objectives: Atrial fibrillation (AF) significantly impacts the quality of life (QoL) of affected individuals. Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) has emerged as a therapeutic approach to manage AF and improve QoL. This study aimed to assess the QoL in patients with AF undergoing PVI. Methods and Materials: A total of 97 AF patients undergoing PVI (radiofrequency 52.6% (n = 51) and cryoablation 47.4% (n = 46)) at Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital were included in this study. QoL was measured using the 36-Item Short-Form Survey (SF-36) before PVI and during a follow-up period of 5.98 ± 1.97 months. Results: This study consisted of 60.8% (n = 59) males, with a mean age of 60.06 ± 11.61 years. A total of 67.0% (n = 65) of patients had paroxysmal AF, and 33.0% (n = 32) had persistent AF. The SF-36 questionnaire revealed major improvements across multiple QoL domains post-PVI, reaching a statistical significance of p < 0.01. Patient factors, such as female gender ([estimate 21.26, 95% CI (7.18, 35.35)], p < 0.01), persistent AF ([estimate 15.49, 95% CI (2.83, 28.15)], p = 0.02), and restored sinus rhythm ([estimate 14.35, 95% CI (1.65, 27.06)], p = 0.03), were associated with significantly improved QoL. Conclusions: PVI in patients with AF positively influences various dimensions of QoL, as evidenced by significant improvement across multiple SF-36 domains. These findings emphasize worsened QoL in patients with AF and the potential benefits of PVI enhancing the overall wellbeing of individuals with AF.

Background and Objectives: Electrical cardioversion (ECV) restores sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and requires uninterrupted anticoagulation to prevent thromboembolic events. Despite the predictable pharmacokinetic profile of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), variability in plasma concentrations and possible drug–drug interactions may have clinical implications. Therefore, this study aimed to describe DOAC plasma concentrations before elective ECV under routine clinical, using expected concentration ranges reported in the guidelines as descriptive reference points. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study included adult patients with AF receiving rivaroxaban, dabigatran, or edoxaban before elective ECV. Blood samples were collected before the procedure irrespective of the timing of DOAC administration, and plasma concentrations were measured using drug-specific chromogenic assays and compared with the expected peak and trough concentration ranges. Comparisons with expected peak and trough concentration distributions were descriptive only. Results: Thirty-seven patients were analysed, with polypharmacy observed in 83.8% of participants. Ten measurements (27.0%) exceeded the upper bounds of expected peak concentration distributions, while two measurements (5.4%) fell below the lower bounds of trough distributions. Two patients were receiving standard DOAC doses despite meeting renal criteria for dose reduction. Conclusions: Considerable variability in randomly timed DOAC concentrations was observed before ECV. Observed dosing discrepancies highlight the importance of periodically reassessing prescribed doses against current patient characteristics. Larger prospective studies with standardized sampling and clinical follow-up are needed to clarify the clinical significance of these findings.