Clinical outcome of patients who develop PAF after CABG surgery.
This was a retrospective analysis of patients who had CABG surgery at our hospital over a 12-month period to determine the intermediate-term prognosis of those who had developed PAF after their operation before hospital discharge. Of 317 patients who were operated by a single surgical group, 116 (37%) had AF postoperatively of whom 112 had the paroxysmal form. Of these, 36 were treated with class I or III antiarrhythmic drugs and rate control drugs (group 1) and 76 were treated with rate control alone (group 2). Group 3 consisted of 151 randomly selected patients who did not have AF. All patients were reevaluated at 6 weeks to determine their rhythm and clinical status. Only one patient each in groups 1 and 2 was in AF 6 weeks after discharge. There was a trend toward a higher mortality and morbidity in group 2 patients. PAF after coronary surgery appears to be a self-limited disease process. In this cohort of patients, the rate of recurrence of AF after discharge was similar in patients receiving class I or class III antiarrhythmic drugs together with rate control agents compared to those receiving rate control drugs alone.
Kowey
P R
PR
Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Lankenau Hospital and Medical Research Center, Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, USA. prkowey@pol.net
Stebbins
D
D
Igidbashian
L
L
Goldman
S M
SM
Sutter
F P
FP
Rials
S J
SJ
Marinchak
R A
RA
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000368:Aged; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D004077:Digoxin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D011897:Random Allocation; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D004077:Digoxin