title: Effectiveness of triple-site triggered atrial pacing for prevention of atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recently, several temporary multisite pacing methods have been developed for prevention of postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this study, we evaluated the effect of triple-site temporary triggered pacing in the AAT mode on the development of AF in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) at high risk for developing postoperative AF.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 70 patients undergoing CABG were randomly assigned either to pacing group (study group, n = 35 patients) or to no pacing group (control group, n = 35 patients). The external pacemaker was programmed to pace at the atrial triggered mode at a lower rate of 40 beats/min for 4 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Atrial fibrillation, defined as lasting > 30 s, occurred in 4 patients (11.4%) in the study group and in 16 patients (45.7%) in the control group (p = 0.003). Sustained AF, defined as AF lasting > 10 min, also was observed less frequently in the study group than in the control group (11.6 vs. 37.1%, p = 0.024). Triple-site triggered atrial pacing was observed to reduce the incidence of AF by 75% and the incidence of sustained AF by 69%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We believe that multiple-site temporary pacing in the triggered mode is an effective way of preventing postoperative AF. This technique may be used especially in patients at high risk of developing AF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Baskent University Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. bozin@tr.net
authors.forename: Bülent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ozin
authors.forename: Atilla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sezgin
authors.forename: Ilyas
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Atar
authors.forename: Oykü
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gülmez
authors.forename: Bülent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Saritaş
authors.forename: Bahadir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gültekin
authors.forename: Mehmet E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Korkmaz
authors.forename: Aylin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yildirir
authors.forename: Sait
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aşlamaci
authors.forename: Haldun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Müderrisoğlu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome