title: Postoperative atrial fibrillation in non-cardiac and cardiac surgery: an overview.
abstract: Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is the most common perioperative cardiac arrhythmia. A major risk factor for POAF is advanced age, both in non-cardiac and cardiac surgery. Following non-cardiac surgery, it is important to correct reversible conditions such as electrolytes imbalances to prevent the occurrence of POAF. Management of POAF consists of rate control and therapeutic anticoagulation if POAF persists for > 48 h and CHADS2 score > 2. After cardiac surgery, POAF affects a larger amount of patients. In addition to age, valve surgery carries the greatest risk for new AF. Rate control is the mainstay therapy in these patients. Prediction, prevention, and management of POAF should be further studied.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Internal Medicine, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada.|Population Health Research Institute's Perioperative Medicine and Surgical Research Unit, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bessissow
authors.affiliation: Population Health Research Institute's Perioperative Medicine and Surgical Research Unit, Hamilton, ON, Canada.|Department of Anesthesia, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Population Health Research Institute's Perioperative Medicine and Surgical Research Unit, Hamilton, ON, Canada.|Departments of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Devereaux
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Garcia
authors.affiliation: Departments of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.|Iberoamerican Cochrane Center, Biomedical Research Institute (CIBERESP-IIB-Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alonso-Coello
mesh_terms: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D000925:Anticoagulants
keywords: atrial fibrillation; cardiac surgery; general surgery; postoperative period; review