title: Frequency, duration, and predictors of newly-diagnosed atrial fibrillation following dual-chamber pacemaker implantation in patients without a previous history of atrial fibrillation.
abstract: The Silent Atrial Fibrillation Detection With Stored EGMs (SAFE) registry is the first prospective study to characterize the incidence, duration, and predictors of atrial high-rate episodes (AHREs) in patients without previous clinically diagnosed atrial fibrillation after dual-chamber pacemaker implantation. Patients underwent in-clinic device interrogation at 2 weeks and then 3, 6, and 12 months after implantation. An AHRE was defined as an atrial tachyarrhythmia with an atrial rate > or =180 beats/min lasting > or =5 minutes. During the first month after pacemaker implantation, AHREs were identified in 68 patients (4.6%). Thirty-four of these patients (50%) did not have AHREs beyond the first month after implantation; these patients were older than those who continued to have AHREs (79 +/- 9 vs 74 +/- 12 years, p = 0.05). Within the first 6 months after pacemaker implantation, 150 patients (10%) experienced a total of 455 AHREs, of which only 28 (6%) prompted clinical visits. The 6-month freedom from an AHRE was 82%. Overall, 75% of patients with AHREs had multiple episodes; most AHREs lasted 5 to 60 minutes. In conclusion, 6 months after dual-chamber pacemaker implantation, 10% of patients experienced > or =1 AHRE, usually lasting 5 to 60 minutes. Some patients had AHREs only within the first 30 days after implantation, suggesting the possibility of transient atrial proarrhythmia related to lead insertion.
authors.affiliation: Al-Sabah Arrhythmia Institute, The St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, New York, USA. smittal@chpnet.org
authors.forename: Suneet
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mittal
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: F Roosevelt
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Gilliam
authors.forename: Stacia Merkel
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kraus
authors.forename: Timothy Edward
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Shelly Ann
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Christman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology