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Anaesthesia

Title:		Risk index for peri-operative atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing open intracranial neurosurgical procedures
Author(s):		Bilotta, F. Pizzichetta, F. Fiorani, L. Paoloni, F. P. Delfini, R. Rosa, G.
Address:		Department of Anaesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, La Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. bilotta@tiscali.it
Year:		2009 May
Journal Title:		Anaesthesia
Page Number:		503-7
Language:		eng
Volume:		64
Issue:		5
ISSN/ISBN:		1365-2044 (Electronic). 0003-2409 (Linking)
Abstract:		The aim of this prospective study was to determine the prevalence of pre-operative atrial fibrillation and the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing elective or emergency intracranial neurosurgical procedures and the relation to survival and neurological outcome at 6-months follow-up compared to patients with sinus rhythm. A total of 2020 patients were enrolled; 1540 patients underwent elective procedures and 480 underwent emergency procedures. Prevalence of pre-operative atrial fibrillation was 3.7% in elective and 7.2% in emergency procedures (p = 0.0012). In patients undergoing elective cerebral procedures with pre-operative atrial fibrillation, compared to patients with sinus rhythm, 6-month neurological outcome and survival rate are similar. In patients undergoing emergency neurosurgical cerebral procedures, the presence of pre-operative atrial fibrillation is related to an increased risk of poor neurological outcome but with similar survival rate.