Atrial fibrillation after aortic arch repair requiring deep hypothermic circulatory arrest: incidence, clinical outcome, and clinical predictors.

OBJECTIVE

To delineate the incidence, outcome impact, and clinical predictors of atrial fibrillation (AF) after adult aortic arch repair requiring deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (AAR-DHCA) AIMS: To determine the incidence of AF after AAR-DHCA, to determine whether AF after AAR-DHCA affects mortality or stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), to determine multivariate predictors for AF after AAR-DHCA, and to determine whether aprotinin protects against AF after AAR-DHCA.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective and observational.

STUDY SETTING

Single large university hospital.

PARTICIPANTS

All adults undergoing AAR-DHCA in 2000 and 2001.

MAIN RESULTS

The cohort size was 144. Antifibrinolytic exposure was 100%, aprotinin 66% and aminocaproic acid 34%. The incidence of AF was 34.0%. AF was not significantly associated with increased mortality or prolonged ICU stay. Advanced age was a multivariate risk factor for AF. Lower temperature nadir during DHCA was protective against postoperative AF. Aprotinin had no demonstrable effect on AF after AAR-DHCA.

CONCLUSIONS

AF after AAR-DHCA is common but does not independently increase mortality or ICU stay. The risk of AF after AAR-DHCA increases with age but decreases with the degree of hypothermia during DHCA. Aprotinin does not appear to affect the risk of AF after AAR-DHCA.