title: Clinical characteristics and outcomes of septic patients with new-onset atrial fibrillation.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Cooper University Hospital, Camden, NJ 08103, USA.
authors.forename: Sangita-Ann
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Christian
authors.forename: Christa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schorr
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferchau
authors.forename: Maria E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Jarbrink
authors.forename: Joseph E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Parrillo
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Gerber
mesh_terms: 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