Unfavourable outcomes for COVID-19 patients with AF and atrial flutter

Atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter (AF/FL) are common in hospitalised COVID-19 patients. AF/FL patients had significantly worse outcomes, including lower odds of ICU survival and higher odds of heart failure (HF), acute kidney injury, dialysis, and death/discharge to hospice [1].

These were the main results from a retrospective study of patients from the Yale Cardiovascular COVID Registry, a cohort of adult patients ≥18 years hospitalised with COVID-19 in the Yale New Haven Health System. Medical record review was performed in 396 consecutive patients who were admitted between March and June 2020. Participants' mean age was 68.2 years, 52.3% were men, and 15.7% had a prior history of AF/FL.

A high proportion of patients (19.9%) had in-hospital AF/FL; some of these (7.8%) did not have a prior history of AF/FL. Patients with in-hospital AF/FL had a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular complications compared with those who did not, including cardiac injury (78.5% vs 42.7%; P<0.001), type 2 myocardial infarction (53.3 vs 30.3%; P=0.002), and heart failure (32.9% vs 9.2%; P<0.001). In-hospital AF/FL was associated with significantly worse COVID-19-related outcomes, including mortality (see Figure).

FIgure: Association between AF/FL and adverse outcomes among hospitalised COVID-19 patients [1]



 

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   1. Ghazizadeh Z, et al. Prevalence and Outcomes Among Hospitalized Patients With Covid-19 and Atrial Fibrillation or Flutter. P2355, AHA Scientific Sessions 2020, 13–17 Nov.

 

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Posted on 17 February, 202119 February, 2021