Atrial fibrillation after bypass surgery: does the arrhythmia or the characteristics of the patients prolong hospital stay?
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to determine whether prolonged hospital stay associated with atrial fibrillation or flutter (AF) after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is attributable to the characteristics of patients who develop this arrhythmia or to the rhythm disturbance itself.


METHODS
An investigation was conducted through a prospective case series.


METHODS
Patients were from a single urban teaching hospital.


METHODS
Consecutive patients undergoing isolated CABG surgery between December 1994 and May 1996 were included in the study.


METHODS
No interventions were involved.


RESULTS
Of 436 patients undergoing isolated CABG surgery, 101 (23%) developed AF. AF patients were older and more likely to have obstructive lung disease than patients without AF, but both patients with and without AF had similar left ventricular function and extent of coronary disease. ICU and hospital stays were longer in patients with AF. Multivariate analysis, adjusted for age, gender, and race, demonstrated that postoperative hospital stay was 9.2+/-5.3 days in patients with AF and 6.4+/-5.3 days in patients without AF (p<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Although AF is strongly associated with advanced age, most of the prolonged hospital stay appears to be attributable to the rhythm itself and not to patient characteristics.
Borzak
S
S
Division of Cardiology, Henry Ford Heart and Vascular Institute, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
Tisdale
J E
JE
Amin
N B
NB
Goldberg
A D
AD
Frank
D
D
Padhi
I D
ID
Higgins
R S
RS
D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology*; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies