Clinical characteristics between patients with and without new
onset atrial fibrillation
Patients who developed NOAF (n=16) during their ICU stay in comparison
to non AF counterpart (n=93), were significantly older (median 65 year
[IQR 59-71] vs 58 years [IQR 51-64]; p =0.001) and were
high likely to have underlying chronic heart failure (2 [33%] vs
2[2%]; p =0.03) and chronic kidney disease (7 [44%] vs
15[16%]; p =0.004). Other comorbidities did not show any
statistical significance between these two groups (Table 1). AKI has
been more prevalent amongst the NOAF (94 % vs 59%; p =0.028) and
nearly half of them required renal replacement therapy during ICU
admission. Left atrium was enlarged above the normal limits in more than
half of NOAF group (56% NOAF vs 28 % without NOAF; p =
0.032).Length of stay in ICU was significantly longer amongst survivors
with NOAF than who remained in sinus rhythm (42 days [IQR 37-44
days] vs 32 days [IQR 21-40 days]; p =0.03) (Table 2).
Increased in-hospital mortality was associated with presence of NOAF (OR
5.4; 95% CI 1.7-17; p =0.004) on univariate analysis and also
when adjusting for covariates such as age, gender and comorbidities
(p =0.042). One patient amongst the NOAF group died following an
ischaemic stroke.