Why the study?
AF is a common cardiovascular manifestation in COVID-19 and has been suggested as a potential risk factor for poor clinical outcomes.
Does new-onset atrial fibrillation on admission increase mortality or adverse outcomes in patients hospitalized with COVID-19?
Does new-onset atrial fibrillation on admission increase mortality or adverse outcomes in patients hospitalized with COVID-19?
In patients hospitalized with COVID-19, new-onset atrial fibrillation is associated with a higher need for invasive ventilation but does not significantly impact in-hospital or long-term mortality.
New-onset AF may prompt closer ventilatory monitoring in COVID-19; leaves open independent effects on outcomes and need for targeted trials.
Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) has been described as a common cardiovascular manifestation in patients suffering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and has been suggested to be a potential risk factor for a poor clinical outcome. Methods: In this observational study, all patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 in 2020 in the Cantonal Hospital of Baden were included. We assessed clinical characteristics, in-hospital outcomes as well as long-term outcomes with a mean follow-up time of 278 (±90) days. Results: Amongst 646 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 (59% male, median age: 70 (IQR: 59–80)) in 2020, a total of 177 (27.4%) patients were transferred to the intermediate/intensive care unit (IMC/ICU), and 76 (11.8%) were invasively ventilated during their hospitalization. Ninety patients (13.9%) died. A total of 116 patients (18%) showed AF on admission of which 34 (29%) had new-onset AF. Patients with COVID-19 and newly diagnosed AF were more likely to require invasive ventilation (OR: 3.5; p = 0.01) but did not encounter an increased in-hospital mortality. Moreover, AF neither increased long-term mortality nor the number of rehospitalizations during follow-up after adjusting for confounders. Conclusions: In patients suffering from COVID-19, the new-onset of AF on admission was associated with an increased risk of invasive ventilation and transfer to the IMC/ICU but did not affect in-hospital or long-term mortality.
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Jurisic et al. (2023) studied this question.
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