Prognostic significance of incident atrial fibrillation following STEMI depends on the timing of atrial fibrillation

Acute atrial ischemia associates with early but not late new-onset atrial fibrillation in STEMI patients treated with primary PCI: relationship with in-hospital outcomes

BACKGROUND

New-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF), both early (EAF) or late (LAF), may complicate ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The mechanisms underlying EAF or LAF are poorly described. We investigated atrial branch occlusion and EAF or LAF onset in STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study including 155 STEMI patients. Patients were divided into 3 groups: sinus rhythm (SR), EAF, or LAF. Clinical characteristics, angiographic features including occlusion of atrial branches, namely ramus ostia cavae superioris (ROCS), atrio-ventricular node artery (AVNA), right intermediate atrial artery (RIAA), and left intermediate atrial artery, were assessed. We also investigated in-hospital adverse events (AEs) and death.

RESULTS

Mean age was 63.8±11.9 years; 78.7% were men. NOAF was detected in 22 (14.2%) patients: 10 (6.4%) EAF and 12 LAF (7.7%). Compared to EAF, LAF patients were older (p=0.013), with higher GRACE risk score (p=0.014) and Killip class (p=0.015), depressed ejection fraction (p=0.007), elevated filling pressures (p=0.029), higher C-reactive protein (p=0.014) and more with thrombolysis in myocardial infarction flow <3 (p=0.015). Compared to SR, EAF was associated with higher prevalence of occluded ROCS (p=0.010), AVNA (p=0.005), and RIAA (p<0.001). Moreover, EAF patients had more frequently ≥2 diseased atrial branches than SR (19.5%, p<0.001) and LAF (25%, p<0.030) patients. LAF patients had a higher in-hospital AEs (p=0.019 vs SR; p=0.029 vs EAF) and death (p=0.004 vs SR).

CONCLUSIONS

The occlusion of atrial branches is associated with EAF but not LAF following STEMI. LAF patients had worse in-hospital AEs and mortality.

New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation in the Post-Primary PCI Setting: A Systematic Review

Background: Atrial fibrillation is a relatively common complication of acute myocardial infarction with significant impact on the short and long-term prognosis.

Methods: A systematic literature review was done through Pubmed and CENTRAL to extract data related to new-onset atrial fibrillation following primary PCI.

Results: Searching resulted in twenty-one matched studies. Extraction of data showed an incidence rate of new-onset atrial fibrillation (2.8%-58%). A negative impact was found on the outcomes of patients treated with primary PCI with increased short and long-term mortality and morbidity.

Conclusion: New-onset atrial fibrillation is an adverse prognostic marker in patients with acute myocardial infarction treated invasively. Preventive measures and anticoagulant therapy should be considered more intensively in this subset of patients.

NEW-ONSET ATRIAL FIBRILLATION IN SETTINGS OF ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROME. CURRENT ISSUES

The present review is focuses on new onset atrial fibrillation (AF) in conditions of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Literature sources from PubMed and Scopus was used. AF is common in the general population and in the ACS population, at that new onset AF, and AF, which was by the time of ACS development are determined. Appearance of AF is more likely amongst the elderly patients with congestive heart failure, with signs of the hemodynamic instability and with the left atrium dilatation. It is well-known about the predictors of adverse outcome in ACS. According to some literature data new onset AF leads to worsening of prognosis, and in line with other sources a reason of its association with high level of mortality is due to the severity of ACS and appearance of AF is not independent predictor of death. The absence of subjective symptoms at the time of paroxysm of new onset AF does not allow estimating its duration and distinguishing between the new onset AF, persistent and constant AF. It is possible to trace the relationship between the myocardial ischemia and AF appearance. Inefficient reperfusion during percutaneous coronary intervention or thrombolytic therapy is accompanied by the onset of AF, on the contrary, when effective patency of coronary artery is achieved, AF appears significantly less often. New onset AF in ACS, in particular, accompanied by cardiogenic shock, requires emergency pharmacological or electrical cardioversion. In some cases, active cardioversion is not necessary, because of spontaneous cardiac rhythm conversion. In conclusions, it is necessary to point out, that ambiguity and multifactority of this problem demands investigation of arrhythmogenesis mechanisms and development of special risk stratification instruments for the new onset AF in ACS.