High incidence of atrial fibrillation after coronary surgery.

OBJECTIVES

Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) affects a third of all patients after coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG), but short-term follow-up of heart rhythm after discharge has been sporadic and shown varied results. The aim of this study was to examine the incidence of post-discharge atrial fibrillation (AF) for 30 days following hospital discharge after CABG.

METHODS

A total of 67 patients, 19 (28%) with POAF during the initial hospitalization and 48 (72%) without POAF were included. Patients recorded intermittent electrocardiogram registrations three times daily, and additionally in case of arrhythmia symptoms. Presence of post-discharge AF was compared between the groups. All patients were in sinus rhythm at discharge.

RESULTS

Twenty of 67 patients (30%) were diagnosed with post-discharge AF. Overall, 35% of them were entirely asymptomatic. POAF patients had a higher incidence of post-discharge AF (11 of 19, 58%) than non-POAF patients (9 of 48, 19%), with six times the odds of developing post-discharge AF compared with non-POAF patients [odds ratio (OR) 6.0; 95% CI 1.9-19, P = 0.002]. Patients with POAF registered episodes of post-discharge AF earlier during the follow-up period (mean Day 3 after discharge, range 1-9 days) than non-POAF patients (Day 10, range 7-14 days, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

A high incidence of both symptomatic and asymptomatic AF was recorded during 30 days following hospital discharge after CABG. The incidence was highest among patients with POAF, of whom more than half experienced post-discharge AF.