scholarly journals PREDICTORS OF ATRIAL FIBRILLATION DURING LONG-TERM ARRHYTHMIA MONITORING FOLLOWING CRYPTOGENIC STROKE

2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (11) ◽  
pp. 497
Author(s):  
Michael Riordan ◽  
Ayhan Yoruk ◽  
Arwa Younis ◽  
Adil Ali ◽  
Amanda Opaskar ◽  
...  
2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Archit Bhatt ◽  
Arshad Majid ◽  
Anmar Razak ◽  
Mounzer Kassab ◽  
Syed Hussain ◽  
...  

Background and Purpose. Paroxysmal Atrial fibrillation/Flutter (PAF) detection rates in cryptogenic strokes have been variable. We sought to determine the percentage of patients with cryptogenic stroke who had PAF on prolonged non-invasive cardiac monitoring.Methods and Results. Sixty-two consecutive patients with stroke and TIA in a single center with a mean age of 61 (+/− 14) years were analyzed. PAF was detected in 15 (24%) patients. Only one patient reported symptoms of shortness of breath during the episode of PAF while on monitoring, and 71 (97%) of these 73 episodes were asymptomatic. A regression analysis revealed that the presence of PVCs (ventricular premature beats) lasting more than 2 minutes (OR 6.3, 95% CI, 1.11–18.92;P=.042) and strokes (high signal on Diffusion Weighted Imaging) (OR 4.3, 95% CI, 5–36.3;P=.041) predicted PAF. Patients with multiple DWI signals were more likely than solitary signals to have PAF (OR 11.1, 95% CI, 2.5–48.5,P<.01).Conclusion. Occult PAF is common in cryptogenic strokes, and is often asymptomatic. Our data suggests that up to one in five patients with suspected cryptogenic strokes and TIAs have PAF, especially if they have PVCs and multiple high DWI signals on MRI.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
P.D Ziegler ◽  
J.D Rogers ◽  
M Richards ◽  
A.J Nichols ◽  
S.W Ferreira ◽  
...  

Abstract Background/Introduction The primary goal of monitoring for atrial fibrillation (AF) after cryptogenic stroke (CS) is secondary stroke prevention. Therefore, long-term monitoring of CS patients with insertable cardiac monitors (ICMs) is likely important to ensure appropriate secondary stroke prevention therapy, regardless of when AF is detected after the index event. However, long-term data on the incidence and duration of AF from real-world populations are sparse. Purpose To investigate the long-term incidence and duration of AF episodes in real-world clinical practice among a large population of patients with ICMs placed for AF detection following CS. Methods We included patients from a large device manufacturer's database who received an ICM for the purpose of AF detection following CS and were monitored for up to 3 years. All detected AF episodes (≥2 minutes) were adjudicated. We quantified the AF detection rate for various episode duration thresholds using Kaplan-Meier survival estimates, analyzed the maximum duration of AF episodes, and measured the time to initial AF detection. Results A total of 1247 patients (65.3±13.0 years, 53% male) were included and followed for 763±362 days. AF episodes (n=5456) were detected in 257 patients, resulting in a median frequency of 5 episodes [IQR 2–19] per patient. At 3 years, the AF detection rate for episodes ≥2 minutes was 24.2%. The AF detection rates at 3 years for episodes ≥6 minutes, ≥30 minutes, and ≥1 hour were 22.4%, 20.6%, and 19.1%, respectively. The median duration of the longest detected AF episode was 4.4 [IQR 1.2–13.9] hours and the median time to AF detection was 129 [IQR 45–354] days. Conclusion AF episodes were detected via ICMs in approximately one-quarter of CS patients within 3 years of follow-up. More than 75% of patients with AF detected had episodes lasting ≥1 hour and half had episodes lasting ≥4 hours. Detection of the first AF episode typically occurred beyond the range of conventional ambulatory monitors. Long-term surveillance of CS patients is likely important given the appreciable incidence, frequency, and duration of these AF episodes. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naga Venkata K Pothineni ◽  
Uyanga Batnyam ◽  
Jeffrey Arkles ◽  
John Bullinga ◽  
Brett L CUCCHIARA ◽  
...  

Introduction: Long-term monitoring for atrial fibrillation (AF) is recommended in patients, who have experienced a cryptogenic stroke (CS). Clinical trials have identified AF in ~30% of patients after 3 years of continuous monitoring with insertable cardiac monitors (ICMs). Hypothesis: In a real-world analysis from a large academic healthcare system, we sought to evaluate a CS population with ICMs and a) determine the yield of AF and subsequent initiation of anticoagulation; and b) identify the presence of other arrhythmias. Methods: We evaluated all CS patients who had received an ICM between October 2014 and April 2020. We manually reviewed all stored electrocardiograms that were automatically labeled as AF by the ICM and adjudicated them as either a) AF or b) other cardiac arrhythmia including premature atrial contractions (PAC), premature ventricular contractions (PVC), supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), or nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT). Results: A total of 84 CS patients with ICMs were included: 51% men, mean age 63 years, and mean CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc 4.1. Over a median follow-up duration of 15.7 months, there were 34 patients (40% of the cohort) who did not have any AF alerts. In the remaining 50 patients, there were 960 stored electrograms that were adjudicated. Only 154 recordings from 16 patients (19% of the entire cohort) were adjudicated as AF. Oral anticoagulation was initiated in all these patients with adjudicated AF. The remaining tracings, which had been automatically categorized by the ICM as AF alerts, represented 34 patients (40% of the cohort). These patients had other arrhythmias including frequent PACs or PVCs, SVT, or NSVT. Conclusions: Compared to clinical trials, our real-world assessment suggests that the yield of AF following CS is lower - approximately 20%. Our findings highlight the importance for reviewing device tracings given the high rates of false positive for AF. Further research to refine AF detection algorithms in ICMs is needed.


2017 ◽  
Vol 244 ◽  
pp. 175-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul D. Ziegler ◽  
John D. Rogers ◽  
Scott W. Ferreira ◽  
Allan J. Nichols ◽  
Mark Richards ◽  
...  

F1000Research ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cen Zhang ◽  
Scott Kasner

Despite many advances in our understanding of ischemic stroke, cryptogenic strokes (those that do not have a determined etiology) remain a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Previous classification approaches to cryptogenic stroke have led to inconsistent definitions, and evidence to determine optimal treatment is scarce. These limitations have prompted international efforts to redefine cryptogenic strokes, leading to more rigorous diagnostic criteria, outcome studies, and new clinical trials. Improvement in our ability to detect paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in patients with cryptogenic stroke has strengthened the idea that these strokes are embolic in nature. Further, better understanding of acute biomarkers has helped to identify otherwise occult mechanisms. Together, these strategies will inform long-term outcomes and shape management.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Danni Fu ◽  
Richard Jones ◽  
Xing Dai ◽  
Michael Wu ◽  
Tina Burton

Introduction: Implantable loop recorders (ILR) are widely used for long term arrhythmia monitoring in patients with cryptogenic stroke (CS). Single center study has shown that some patients with incidental arrhythmias found by ILR, aside from atrial fibrillation (AF), resulted in changes in clinical management. Unfortunately, a large portion of the patients had premature ILR explantation before the end of battery life and other studies on incidental arrhythmias are limited. Hypothesis: We sought to determine the rate of occurrence of incidental arrhythmias other than AF on ILR monitoring among patients with CS and to characterize the rate of these incidental arrhythmias that result in a change in clinical management. Methods: All adult patients with ILR for CS at Rhode Island Hospital between 1/2015-1/2019 were included. Demographics, cardiac risk factors and structural features, and ILR tracings were reviewed. Results: Three hundred and twelve patients were identified with a median follow up time of 27.9 months (IQR 18.5-35.8 months). Incidental arrhythmias were identified in 110 patients (35.2%) with a median of 7.8 months (IQR 4.4-16.2 months) at a rate of 20.1 per 100 person-years. AF was detected in 51 patients (16.3%) with a median of 3.9 months (IQR 1.3-12.3 months). Eighteen patients had both AF and incidental arrhythmias and incidental arrhythmias were found after AF in 8 of those patients. Premature explantation occurred in 9.3% of patients with the most common reason being patient preference. Twelve patients with incidental arrhythmias (10.9%) had a resultant change in management; 9 with procedural interventions and 3 with medication adjustments. Overall, the rate of actionable incidental arrhythmias is 2.2 per 100 person-years. Conclusions: Other than AF detection, long term EKG monitoring in patients with CS with ILR allows for detection of other arrhythmias. These incidental findings can result in changes in management and potentially favorable clinical outcomes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 266 (12) ◽  
pp. 3058-3064 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Vollmuth ◽  
S. Stoesser ◽  
H. Neugebauer ◽  
A. Hansel ◽  
J. Dreyhaupt ◽  
...  

Abstract Background To date, insertable cardiac monitors (ICMs) are the most effective method for the detection of occult atrial fibrillation (AF) in cryptogenic stroke. The overall detection rate after 12 months, however, is low and ranges between 12.4 and 33.3%, even if clinical predictors are considered. Ischemic stroke patients due to cardiogenic embolism present with particular lesion patterns. In patients with cryptogenic stroke, MR-imaging pattern may be a valuable predictor for AF. Methods This is an MRI-based, retrospective, observational, comparative, single-center study of 104 patients who underwent ICM implantation after cryptogenic stroke. The findings were compared to a reference group with related stroke etiology, i.e., 166 patients with embolic stroke due to AF detected for the first time by long-term ECG. Lesion patterns were evaluated with regard to affected territories, distribution (cortical, lacunar, scattered), lesion volume, and lesion size (diameter of the lesion size > 20 mm). Results The MR-imaging analysis of acute ischemic lesions yielded no association between AF and lesion size or volume, arterial vessel distribution, or the number of affected territories. There was no significant difference between the cohorts regarding ischemic patterns (cortical lesions, scattered lesions, and lacunar infarcts). An important clinical inference of our findings is that 10% (2 of 20) of cases in the ICM group in whom AF was detected had a lacunar infarct pattern. Similar results were shown in cases of ischemic stroke patients with AF detected for the first time by long-term ECG, with 10.9% (16 of 147) of them showing lacunar infarcts. The analysis of chronic MRI lesions revealed no differences between the groups in the rate of chronic lesions, arterial vessel distribution, or the number of affected territories. Left atrial size (LA size) and the presence of atrial runs in long-term ECG were independently associated with AF. Conclusions In this MRI-based analysis of patients with cryptogenic stroke who had received ICM implantation, the detection rate of AF in patients with ICM was not related to the imaging pattern. In addition, the lacunar infarct pattern should not be an exclusion criterion for ICM insertion in patients with cryptogenic stroke. ICM insertion in patients with cryptogenic stroke should not be evaluated solely on the basis of reference to infarct patterns.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 81
Author(s):  
Andrzej Kułach ◽  
Milena Dewerenda ◽  
Michał Majewski ◽  
Anetta Lasek-Bal ◽  
Zbigniew Gąsior

Introduction: Silent atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cause of cryptogenic ischemic stroke (CIS). The 24-h-Holter is insufficient to reveal an occult arrhythmic cause of stroke and the strategy to select the patients for long-term monitoring is missing. Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate 7-day-Holter monitoring to identify cases with the arrhythmic cause of stroke in CIS patients in whom 24-h-Holter was free from arrhythmia, and to assess the relation between supraventricular (SV) runs in baseline Holter and the incidence of AF in a 3-year follow-up period. Methods: 78 patients (aged 60 ± 9 years, 45 males) with CIS and no arrhythmic findings in 24-h-Holter were enrolled. All patients had 7-day-Holter monitoring after stroke and were followed up for 36 months, and then 7-day Holter was repeated. We assessed SV runs (≥5 QRS) in the initial 7-day Holter and analyzed the relation of the findings with clinical characteristics of novel AF episodes revealed early after stroke and during a 3-year follow-up. Results: Baseline 7-day-Holter revealed SV runs in 36% of patients and AF in 9% of cases. During a 3-year follow-up, 8 additional cases were confirmed, both in standard care and in repeated Holter (a total of 19% of AF cases). There was no difference with regard to CHADS2VASc score (3.6 ± 1.1 vs. 3.4 ± 1.5; p = NS) and left atrium parameters between patients with SV runs and the non-arrhythmic group. Patients with SV runs had a higher incidence of AF both after stroke and in a 3-year follow-up (46% vs. 4%, RR 11.6, p < 0.001). In 8 cases, patent foramen ovale was detected during follow-up. Conclusions: A strategy of baseline 7-day-Holter monitoring after stroke allows for disclosing SV runs in every third case and AF in 9% of stroke survivors. Patients with SV runs have a higher incidence of AF (RR 11.6, p < 0.001) and should be considered for extended continuous ECG monitoring.


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