Clinical characteristics and outcomes of septic patients with new-onset atrial fibrillation.
OBJECTIVE
No studies have specifically evaluated the incidence or clinical characteristics of atrial fibrillation (AF) in a mixed medical-surgical population of patients with sepsis. We undertook to determine the incidence and clinical course of critically ill septic patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) who developed new-onset AF.


METHODS
Retrospective analysis of data collected from the Project IMPACT database on 274 septic patients from July 2003 to December 2004.


RESULTS
Sixteen evaluable septic patients with new-onset AF were identified. Mortality was higher (P = .034) and ICU length of stay (LOS) longer (P = .003) in patients with AF vs those without. Intensive care unit LOS was also longer in the subset of survivors with AF (P = .0001). Hospital LOS was longer among survivors with AF than in survivors without AF (P = .047). Patients with AF had a greater need for mechanical ventilation (P = .0007). Survivors with AF had longer duration of mechanical ventilation than those without AF (P = .006).


CONCLUSIONS
Statistically significantly higher mortality was observed in critically ill septic patients with new-onset AF, as were longer duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU, and hospital LOS. Whether the higher incidence of AF in septic patients is a specific risk factor for outcome or an indication of severity of illness remains to be determined.
Christian
Sangita-Ann
SA
Cooper University Hospital, Camden, NJ 08103, USA.
Schorr
Christa
C
Ferchau
Lynn
L
Jarbrink
Maria E
ME
Parrillo
Joseph E
JE
Gerber
David R
DR
D018806:APACHE; D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D016638:Critical Illness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome