July 1, 2018
View Full PaperThirty-Second Gold Standard Definition of Atrial Fibrillation and Its Relationship With Subsequent Arrhythmia Patterns
Structured PICO
Does an initial AF episode of 30 seconds predict clinically meaningful AF patterns?
I
Intervention
30-second definition of atrial fibrillation episode
O
Outcome
Clinically meaningful AF patterns
The standard 30-second definition for an initial AF episode may not be predictive of clinically meaningful arrhythmia patterns, which can impact reported outcomes like ablation success.
Abstract
Small differences in AF episode duration definition can significantly affect the perceived incidence of AF and impact reported outcomes, including AF ablation success. An initial AF episode of 30 seconds does not predict clinically meaningful AF patterns.