title: Heart rate variability measures poorly predict atrial fibrillation after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate associations of heart rate variability (HRV) measurements with postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients undergoing off-pump coronary surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, observational, exploratory study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Large university-affiliated community medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  50 patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).
  
  
  METHODS
  Preoperative recording of electrocardiograms (ECGs) with subsequent off-line HRV analysis. Monitored ECG telemetry for 5 days after operation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Frequency and time domain analyses, and additional non-linear HRV determinations. Multivariate regression analysis of predictors of postoperative AF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AF occurred in 23 (46%) patients. Only the low to high-frequency ratio was associated with AF (2.35 ± 1.8 v. 4.57 ± 5.0 for patients without AF, P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The off-pump approach does not protect against AF, and nonlinear HRV analyses provide little value in predicting AF after off-pump CABG.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, Lankenau Hospital and Lankenau Institute of Medical Research, Wynnewood, PA 19096, USA.
authors.forename: Dmitri
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chamchad
authors.forename: Jay C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Horrow
authors.forename: Louis E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Samuels
authors.forename: Lev
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nakhamchik
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis*; D047549:Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis