New Onset of Atrial Fibrillation" as an Outcome Predictor in Critically Ill Patients with Sepsis: A Systemic Review

Abstract

Background Evidence of various cardiac arrhythmias in septic patients has been demonstrated by multiple clinical reports and observations .Most cardiac arrhythmias in sepsis are new-onset and may be related to sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction, autonomic dysfunction and, most likely also, by impairment and involvement of the cardiac conduction system. Aim of the Work to describe the incidence of NOAF and to determine the risk factors associated with its development, as well as its clinical course and its effect on the outcome of patients with sepsis admitted to the ICU. Patients and Methods A systematic search was conducted to retrieve articles that investigated the association of NOAF in patients diagnosed with sepsis. We identified potential Englishlanguage sources from the PubMed, Medline, and EMBASE databases. Keywords used were “atrial fibrillation” and (“sepsis” or “septic shock”). In addition, reference lists of any studies meeting inclusion criteria were reviewed manually to identify additional relevant publications. Results In our meta-analysis, we found that NOAF is a common occurrence in critically ill patients with sepsis, and its incidence rises with increasing severity of disease. Also, we found that NOAF in sepsis patients is significantly associated with increased risk of ICU. In hospital, and After hospital discharge mortality, as well as, increased risk of developing ischemic stroke. Conclusion NOAF is a common occurrence in critically ill patients with sepsis, and its incidence rises with increasing severity of disease. Our Meta-analysis suggests that it is independently associated with poor outcome. In view of these findings there is a need for better quality observational studies, because reliable identification of patients with sepsis who are prone for the development of AF may allow for early pharmacological interventions to prevent this complication.