Key result
New-onset AF in sepsis is linked to ~122% higher all-cause mortality.
Why the study?
The prevalence of new-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) in septic patients and its associated risk of overall, in-hospital, and post-discharge mortality and ischemic stroke needed evaluation.
Does new-onset atrial fibrillation increase mortality and ischemic stroke risk in patients with sepsis?
Meta-Analysis (n=3,323,792)
Does new-onset atrial fibrillation increase mortality and ischemic stroke risk in patients with sepsis?
Odds Ratio: 2.22 (95% CI 1.63–3.03)
p-value: p=<0.001
New-onset atrial fibrillation is a frequent complication in sepsis and is associated with significantly increased risks of all-cause mortality and ischemic stroke.
I need the paper’s actual results before writing the implication. Searching for the meta-analysis now.The paper is on ScienceDirect. Opening it for the results and key finding.Pulling the abstract and results from Semantic Scholar, PubMed, and the DOI page.Highlights show 13.27% prevalence. Fetching the full abstract and results next.SciProfiles has more of the abstract. Opening that and related a
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the new-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) prevalence and the overall, in-hospital, post-discharge mortality, and ischemic stroke risk associated with NOAF in septic patients. METHODS: Systematic review and meta-analysis of studies reporting the prevalence and risk of NOAF in patients with sepsis (PROSPERO CRD420261284949). MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched from inception to 31st December 2025. Within eligible studies, mortality and stroke risk were analyzed. Random-effects models were used to calculate pooled effects estimated with Odds Ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Risk of bias was assessed by ROBINS-I tool. RESULTS: 15 including 3,323,792 patients were analyzed. The NOAF prevalence was 13.27% (95%CI 8.16-19.4, p<0.001), from 6.74% in ordinary hospitalizations to 21.47% in intensive care units. Sepsis was associated with NOAF risk (OR 3.95, 95%CI 1.53-10.22, p<0.001). NOAF patients had higher all-cause mortality risk (OR 2.22, 95%CI 1.63-3.03, p<0.001), either in-hospital (OR 2.21, 95%CI 2.00-2.45, p<0.001), or post-discharge (OR 1.32, 95%CI 1.12-1.57, p<0.001), and ischemic stroke (OR 1.17, 95%CI 1.09-1.25, p<0.001). Mortality risk varied according to sepsis definition by ICD code (OR 2.13, 95%CI 1.29-3.52, p<0.001), Sepsis-2 (OR 4.52, 95%CI 2.24-9.09, p<0.001), Sepsis-3 (OR 1.64, 95%CI 1.21-2.22, p=0.002) and clinical criteria (OR 2.46, 95%CI 1.17-5.18, p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: NOAF is a frequent cardiac complication of septic patients and is associated with increased mortality and stroke risk.
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Cormaci et al. (2026) conducted a meta-analysis in Sepsis (n=3,323,792). New-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) vs. No NOAF was evaluated on All-cause mortality (OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.63-3.03, p=<0.001). New-onset atrial fibrillation in patients with sepsis was associated with a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality (OR 2.22; 95% CI 1.63-3.03; p<0.001) and ischemic stroke.
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