Incidence of stroke and acute renal failure in patients of postoperative atrial fibrillation after myocardial revascularization

INTRODUCTION Postoperative atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia in cardiac surgery, its incidence range between 20% and 40%. OBJECTIVE Quantify the occurrence of stroke and acute renal insufficiency after myocardial revascularization surgery in patients who had atrial fibrillation postoperatively. METHODS Cohort longitudinal bidirectional study, performed at Portuguese Beneficent Hospital (SP), with medical chart survey of patients undergoing myocardial revascularization surgery between June 2009 to July 2010. From a total of 3010 patients were weaned 382 patients that presented atrial fibrillation preoperatively and/or associated surgeries. The study was conducted in accordance with national and international following resolutions: ICH Harmonized Tripartite Guidelines for Good Clinical Practice - 1996; CNS196/96 Resolution, and Declaration of Helsinki. RESULTS The 2628 patients included in this study were divided into two groups: Group I, who didn't show postoperative atrial fibrillation, with 2302 (87.6%) patients; and group II, with 326 (12.4%) who developed postoperative atrial fibrillation. The incidence of stroke in patients was 1.1% without postoperative atrial fibrillation vs. 4% with postoperative atrial fibrillation (P<0.001). Postoperative acute renal failure was observed in 12% of patients with postoperative atrial fibrillation and 2.4% in the group without postoperative atrial fibrillation (P<0.001), that is a relation 5 times greater. CONCLUSION In this study there was a high incidence of stroke and acute renal failure in patients with postoperative atrial fibrillation, with rates higher than those reported in the literature.