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3.1.8 - Atrial Fibrillation in the Intensive Care Unit

from Section 3.1 - Cardiac and Circulatory Failure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 July 2023

Ned Gilbert-Kawai
Affiliation:
The Royal Liverpool Hospital
Debashish Dutta
Affiliation:
Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, Harlow
Carl Waldmann
Affiliation:
Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading
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Summary

Key Learning Points

  1. 1. Atrial fibrillation is common in the intensive care unit and may occur in the structurally normal heart.

  2. 2. Treatment goals consist of rhythm control, rate control and anticoagulation, as well as addressing the underlying cause.

  3. 3. Transoesophageal echocardiography is needed to exclude left atrial clot before electrical or chemical cardioversion if atrial fibrillation is for >48 hours or other risk factors for stroke prevail.

  4. 4. Electrical cardioversion is the safest approach where pre-excitation from an accessory pathway occurs.

  5. 5. Ventricular arrhythmias are most likely associated with structural heart disease and may be immediately life-threatening.

Type
Chapter
Information
Intensive Care Medicine
The Essential Guide
, pp. 122 - 125
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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References

References and Further Reading

Bersten, A, Soni, N (eds). Oh’s Intensive Care Manual, 6th edn. Edinburgh: Butterworth Heinemann; 2009.Google Scholar
Caldeira, D, David, C, Sampaio, C. Rate versus rhythm control in atrial fibrillation and clinical outcomes: updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Arch Cardiovasc Dis 2012;105:226–38.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
January, CT, Wann, LS, Alpert, JS, et al. 2014 AHA/ACC/HRS guideline for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation: executive summary: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on practice guidelines and the Heart Rhythm Society. Circulation 2014;130:2071–104. Erratum in: Circulation 2014;130:e270–1.Google Scholar
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. 2014. Implantable cardioverter defibrillators and cardiac resynchronisation therapy for arrhythmias and heart failure. www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta314/chapter/1-GuidanceGoogle Scholar
Sibley, S, Muscedere, J. New-onset atrial fibrillation in critically ill patients. Can Respir J 2015;22:179–82.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

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