scholarly journals Single-lead ECGs (AliveCor) are a feasible, cost-effective and safer alternative to 12-lead ECGs in community diagnosis and monitoring of atrial fibrillation

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. e001270
Author(s):  
Jonathan James Hyett Bray ◽  
Elin Fflur Lloyd ◽  
Firdaus Adenwalla ◽  
Sarah Kelly ◽  
Kathie Wareham ◽  
...  

BackgroundCommunity management of atrial fibrillation (AF) often requires the use of electrocardiographic (ECG) investigation. Patients discharged following treatment of AF with fast ventricular response (fast AF) can require numerous ECGs to monitor rate and/or rhythm control. Single-lead ECGs have been proposed as a more convenient and relatively accurate alternative to 12-lead ECGs for rate/rhythm management and also diagnosis of AF. We aimed to examine the feasibility of using the AliveCor single-lead ECG monitor for diagnosis and monitoring of AF in the community setting.MethodsDuring the course of 6 months, this evaluation of a clinical service improvement pathway used the AliveCor in management of patients requiring (1) follow-up ECGs for AF with previously documented rapid ventricular rate or (2) ECG confirmation of rhythm where AF was suspected. Twelve AliveCor devices provided to the acute community medical team were used to produce 30 s ECG rhythm strips (iECG) that were electronically sent to an overreading physician.ResultsSeventy-four patients (mean age 82 years) were managed on this pathway. (1) The AliveCor was successfully used to monitor the follow-up of 37 patients with fast AF, acquiring a combined total of 113 iECGs (median 1.5 ±3.75 per patient). None of these patients required a subsequent 12-lead ECG and this approach saved an estimate of up to £134.49 per patient. (2) Of 53 patients with abnormal pulses, the system helped identify 8 cases of new onset AF and 19 cases of previously known AF that had reverted from sinus back into AF.ConclusionsWe have demonstrated that the AliveCor system is a feasible, cost-effective, time-efficient and potentially safer alternative to serial 12-lead ECGs for community monitoring and diagnosis of AF.

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (13) ◽  
pp. 2927
Author(s):  
Amaar Obaid Hassan ◽  
Gregory Y. H. Lip ◽  
Arnaud Bisson ◽  
Julien Herbert ◽  
Alexandre Bodin ◽  
...  

There are limited data on the relationship of acute dental infections with hospitalisation and new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF). This study aimed to assess the relationship between acute periapical abscess and incident AF. This was a retrospective cohort study from a French national database of patients hospitalized in 2013 (3.4 million patients) with at least five years of follow up. In total, 3,056,291 adults (55.1% female) required hospital admission in French hospitals in 2013 while not having a history of AF. Of 4693 patients classified as having dental periapical abscess, 435 (9.27%) developed AF, compared to 326,241 (10.69%) without dental periapical abscess that developed AF over a mean follow-up of 4.8 ± 1.7 years. Multivariable analysis indicated that dental periapical abscess acted as an independent predictor for new onset AF (p < 0.01). The CHA2DS2VASc score in patients with acute dental periapical abscess had moderate predictive value for development of AF, with Area Under the Curve (AUC) 0.73 (95% CI, 0.71–0.76). An increased risk of new onset AF was identified for individuals hospitalized with dental periapical abscess. Careful follow up of patients with severe, acute dental periapical infections is needed for incident AF, as well as investigations of possible mechanisms linking these conditions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
S.L Xu ◽  
J Luo ◽  
H.Q Li ◽  
Z.Q Li ◽  
B.X Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background New-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) complicating acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has been associated with poor survival, but the clinical implication of NOAF on subsequent heart failure (HF) is still not well studied. We aimed to investigate the relationship between NOAF following AMI and HF hospitalization. Methods This retrospective cohort study was conducted between February 2014 and March 2018, using data from the New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation Complicating Acute Myocardial Infarction in ShangHai registry, where all participants did not have a documented AF history. Patients with AMI who discharged alive and had complete echocardiography and follow-up data were analyzed. The primary outcome was HF hospitalization, which was defined as a minimum of an overnight hospital stay of a participant who presented with symptoms and signs of HF or received intravenous diuretics. Results A total of 2075 patients were included, of whom 228 developed NOAF during the index AMI hospitalization. During up to 5 years of follow-up (median: 2.7 years), 205 patients (9.9%) experienced HF hospitalization and 220 patients (10.6%) died. The incidence rate of HF hospitalization among patients with NOAF was 18.4% per year compared with 2.8% per year for those with sinus rhythm. After adjustment for confounders, NOAF was significantly associated with HF hospitalization (hazard ratio [HR]: 3.14, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.30–4.28; p&lt;0.001). Consistent result was observed after accounting for the competing risk of all-cause death (subdistribution HR: 3.06, 95% CI: 2.18–4.30; p&lt;0.001) or performing a propensity score adjusted multivariable model (HR: 3.28, 95% CI: 2.39–4.50; p&lt;0.001). Furthermore, the risk of HF hospitalization was significantly higher in patients with persistent NOAF (HR: 5.81; 95% CI: 3.59–9.41) compared with that in those with transient NOAF (HR: 2.61; 95% CI: 1.84–3.70; p interaction = 0.008). Conclusion NOAF complicating AMI is strongly associated with an increased long-term risk of heart. Cumulative incidence of outcome Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): 1. National Natural Science Foundation of China, 2. Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Murat Yuksel ◽  
Abdulkadir Yildiz ◽  
Mustafa Oylumlu ◽  
Nihat Polat ◽  
Halit Acet ◽  
...  

Coronary cameral fistulas are abnormal communications between a coronary artery and a heart chamber or a great vessel which are reported in less than 0.1% of patients undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography. All three major coronary arteries are even less frequently involved in fistula formation as it is the case in our patient. A 68-year-old woman was admitted to cardiology clinic with complaints of exertional dyspnea and angina for two years and a new onset palpitation. Standard 12-lead electrocardiogram revealed atrial fibrillation (AF) with a ventricular rate of 114 beat/minute and accompanying T wave abnormalities and minimal ST-depression on lateral derivations. Transthoracic echocardiographic examination was normal except for diastolic dysfunction, minimally mitral regurgitation, and mild to moderate enlargement of the left atrium. Sinus rhythm was achieved by medical cardioversion with amiodarone infusion. Coronary angiography revealed diffuse and multiple coronary-left ventricle fistulas originating from the distal segments of both left and right coronary arterial systems without any stenosis in epicardial coronary arteries. The patient’s symptoms resolved almost completely with medical therapy. High volume shunts via coronary artery to left ventricular microfistulas may lead to increased volume overload and subsequent increase in end-diastolic pressure of the left ventricle and may cause left atrial enlargement.


Author(s):  
Kyle P Hornsby ◽  
Kensey Gosch ◽  
Amy L Miller ◽  
Jonathan P Piccini ◽  
Renato D Lopes ◽  
...  

Background: Little data are available regarding differences in prognosis and health status between new-onset and prior atrial fibrillation (AF) among patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods: The TRIUMPH study enrolled 4340 AMI patients who received longitudinal follow-up including SF-12 health status assessments through 1 year post-AMI. We compared 1-year mortality, rehospitalization, and functional status according to AF type (none, prior, new) after adjusting for differences in baseline characteristics. Results: A total of 212 AMI patients (4.9%) had prior AF and 254 (5.9%) had new-onset AF. Compared with no AF, new AF was associated with older age, male sex, first MI, worse baseline physical function, home atrioventricular nodal blocker use, and worse ventricular function (c-index 0.77). Rates of 1-year mortality were 6.2%, 14.5%, and 13.0%, and 1-year rehospitalization rates were 29.1%, 44.2%, and 36.8% for no, prior, and new AF, respectively. After multivariable adjustment, neither prior nor new AF was associated with increased 1-year mortality, and only prior AF was associated with increased risk of 1-year rehospitalization (Figure). After adjusting for baseline SF-12 physical function scores, patients with prior AF had lower 1-year scores than those with no AF (40.6 vs. 43.7, p <0.003), whereas patients with new AF had similar scores (42.9 vs. 43.7, p=0.36). Conclusion: New-onset AF during AMI is associated with a number of comorbidities but, unlike prior AF, is not associated with adverse outcomes. These results raise the question of whether AF is itself a cause of or simply a marker of comorbidities leading to downstream adverse outcomes after AMI.


Circulation ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 130 (suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria A Baturova ◽  
Arne Lindgren ◽  
Jonas Carlson ◽  
Yuri V Shubik ◽  
Bertil Olsson ◽  
...  

Introduction: Prolonged P-wave duration (PWD) is associated with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF), which might be underdiagnosed in ischemic stroke patients, in whom it might be pivotal for initiation of secondary prevention oral anticoagulation therapy. We aimed to assess whether PWD predicts new-onset AF during 10-year follow-up in ischemic stroke patients compared to control subjects enrolled in the Lund Stroke Register (LSR). Methods: Study sample comprised of 227 first-ever ischemic stroke patients without AF (mean age 72±12 y, 92 female) and 1:1 age- and gender- matched control subjects without stroke and AF enrolled in LSR from Mar 2001 to Feb 2002. The date of new-onset AF during follow-up was assessed by the date of first AF ECG in the regional ECG database and by record linkage with the Swedish National Patient Register. The available standard snapshot 12-lead sinus rhythm ECGs at baseline were retrieved from electronic database and digitally processed. Results: Patients with ischemic stroke compared to controls more often had hypertension (57% vs 31%), diabetes (15% vs 7%) and vascular diseases (42% vs 13%, all p < 0.005). New-onset AF was detected in 39 (17%) stroke patients and in 30 (13%) controls, p=0.296. In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, new onset AF in the stroke group was associated with age>65 years (HR=3.78, 95%CI 1.32-10.85, p=0.013) and hypertension (HR=2.42, 95%CI 1.09-5.40, p=0.030), but not with PWD. On the contrary, PWD>120 ms was the only independent predictor of new onset AF in the control group after adjustment for age and cardiovascular risk factors (HR=3.36, 95%CI 1.41-8.01, p=0.006, Figure 1). Conclusions: Prolonged P-wave duration is the strongest predictor of AF incidence during 10-year follow-up in stroke-free population. However, in ischemic stroke patients the developing of AF is more likely associated with more advanced cardiovascular comorbidities than with electrical abnormalities in the heart.


2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M.A. Baturova ◽  
A. Lindgren ◽  
J. Carlson ◽  
Y. Shubik ◽  
S.B. Olsson ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Polovina ◽  
I Milinkovic ◽  
G Krljanac ◽  
I Veljic ◽  
I Petrovic-Djordjevic ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) portends adverse prognosis in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Whether T2DM independently increases the risk of incident heart failure (HF) in AF is uncertain. Also, HF phenotype developing in patients with vs. those without T2DM has not been characterised. Purpose In AF patients without a history of prior HF, we aimed to assess: 1) the impact of T2DM on the risk of new-onset HF; and 2) the association between T2DM and HF phenotype developing during the prospective follow-up. Methods We included diabetic and non-diabetic AF patients, without a history of HF. Baseline T2DM status was inferred from medical history, haemoglobin A1c levels and oral glucose tolerance test. Study outcome was the first hospital admission or emergency department treatment for new-onset HF during the prospective follow-up. The phenotype of new-onset HF was determined by echocardiographic exam performed following clinical stabilisation (at hospital discharge, or within a month after HF diagnosis). HF phenotype was defined as HFrEF (left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] <40%), HFmrEF (LVEF 40–49%) or HFpEF (LVEF≥50%). Cox regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, baseline LVEF, comorbidities, smoking status, alcohol intake, AF type (paroxysmal vs. non-paroxysmal) and T2DM treatment was used to analyse the association between T2DM and incident HF. Results Among 1,288 AF patients without prior HF (mean age: 62.1±12.7 years; 61% male), T2DM was present in 16.5%. Diabetic patients had higher mean baseline LVEF compared with nondiabetic patients (50.0±6.2% vs. 57.6±9.0%; P<0.001). During the median 5.5-year follow-up, new-onset HF occurred in 12.4% of patients (incidence rate, 2.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.5–3.3 per 100 patient-years). Compared with non-diabetic patients, those with T2DM had a hazard ratio of 2.1 (95% CI, 1.6–2.8; P<0.001) for new-onset HF, independent of baseline LVEF or other factors. In addition, diabetic patients had a significantly greater decline in covariate-adjusted mean LVEF (−10.4%; 95% CI, −9.8% to −10.8%) at follow-up, compared with nondiabetic patients (−4.0%; 95% CI, −3.8% to −4.2%), P<0.001. The distribution of HF phenotypes at follow-up is presented in Figure. Among patients with T2DM, HFrEF (56.9%) was the most common phenotype of HF, whereas in patients without T2DM, HF mostly took the phenotype of HFpEF (75.0%). Conclusions T2DM is associated with an independent risk of new-onset HF in patients with AF and confers a greater decline in LVEF compared to individuals without T2DM. HFrEF was the most prevalent presenting phenotype of HF in AF patients with T2DM.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
C Wilkinson ◽  
O Todd ◽  
M Yadegarfar ◽  
A Clegg ◽  
C P Gale ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in older people is increasing, as is frailty. Frailty describes an increased vulnerability to adverse outcomes, whereby the balance of risk and benefit associated with an intervention may be more nuanced. However, there are limited data from a community setting on the prevalence of AF and frailty in older people. It is important to understand the burden of AF and frailty, and the associated impact on mortality and stroke disease in order to inform shared decision making with patients, and also inform guidelines for this increasing group of older people. Purpose To estimate the prevalence of AF and the burden of frailty in patients with AF, in a large primary care dataset. To report stroke and mortality by frailty group. Methods We used electronic health records of 537,051 patients in England aged 65 years or older on 31/12/2015, with follow-up for all-cause mortality and ischaemic or unclassified stroke to 11/04/2017. Patients with a history of AF were identified using Clinical Terms Version 3 (CTV-3) codes. Frailty was identified up to the point of study entry using the electronic frailty index (eFI, the proportion of deficits out of 36 possible deficits), and categorised into robust (0–0.12), mild (>0.12–0.24), moderate (>0.24–0.36) or severe (>0.36) frailty. Median CHA2DS2-VASc and ATRIA scores for patients with frailty were compared with the robust group using Mann-Whitney. The association between frailty status, all-cause mortality and stroke was calculated using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for age and sex. Results Of the cohort, 61,177 patients (11.4%) had AF. Of those with AF, 27,987 (45.8%) were female, and 54,734 (89.5%) had frailty. 6,443 (10.5%) were classified as robust; 20,352 (33.3%) mildly frail; 20,315 (33.2%) moderately frail; and 14,067 (23.0%) severely frail. The median number of eFI-defined deficits among patients with AF was 9 (interquartile range [IQR] 6–12). Median stroke and bleeding scores were higher in those with frailty compared with the robust group (CHA2DS2-VASc 4 [IQR 3–5] v 2 [2–3], p≤0.001; ATRIA 4 [2–6] v 1 [0–2], p≤0.001). During 73,338 patient-years of follow-up, there were 6,805 (11.1%) deaths and 945 (1.54%) strokes. Compared with the robust group, all-cause mortality and stroke were higher with increasing frailty. Mortality: mild frailty hazard ratio 1.53 (95% confidence interval 1.29–1.80); moderate frailty 2.50 (2.13–2.94); severe frailty 4.26 (3.63–5.01). Stroke: mild frailty 1.36 (0.99–1.85); moderate frailty 1.67 (1.23–2.28); severe 1.99 (1.45–2.73). Kaplan-Meier survival curves by frailty Conclusion The prevalence of AF among those aged over 65 years in primary care in England is high, the majority of whom are frail. Increasing severity of frailty was associated with higher mortality and stroke rates. The extent to which the judicious use of oral anticoagulation may improve clinical outcomes for patients with AF and frailty is currently unknown. Acknowledgement/Funding CPG: Bayer, BMS, AstraZeneca, Novartis Vifor Pharma, Menerini


Author(s):  
Jean-Baptiste Guichard ◽  
Feng Xiong ◽  
Xiao-Yan Qi ◽  
Nathalie L’Heureux ◽  
Roddy Hiram ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims No studies have assessed the specific contributions of atrial fibrillation (AF)-related atrial vs. associated ventricular arrhythmia to remodelling. This study assessed the roles of atrial arrhythmia vs. high ventricular rate in AF-associated remodelling. Methods and results Four primary dog-groups (12/group) were subjected to 3-week pacing: 600-b.p.m. atrial tachypacing maintaining AF [AF w/o- atrioventricular block (AVB)]; atrial tachypacing with atrioventricular-node ablation (AF+AVB) and ventricular-demand pacing (80 b.p.m.); 160-b.p.m. ventricular-tachypacing (V160) reproducing the response rate during AF; and sinus rhythm with AVB/ventricular-pacing at 80-b.p.m. (control group). At terminal study, left-atrial (LA) effective refractory period (ERP) was reduced equally in both AF groups (w/o-AVB and AF+AVB). AF-inducibility was increased strongly in AF groups (w/o-AVB and AF+AVB) and modestly in V160. AF duration was significantly increased in AF w/o-AVB but not in AF+AVB or V160. Conduction velocity was decreased in AF w/o-AVB, to a greater extent than in AF+AVB and V160. Atrial fibrous-tissue content was increased in AF w/o-AVB, AF+AVB and V160, with collagen-gene up-regulation only in AF w/o-AVB. Connexin43 gene expression was reduced only in AF w/o-AVB. An additional group of 240-b.p.m. ventricular tachypacing dogs (VTP240; to induce heart failure) was studied: vs. other tachypaced groups, VTP240 caused greater fibrosis, but no change in LA-ERP or AF-inducibility. VTP240 also increased AF duration, strongly decreased left ventricular ejection fraction, and was the only group with LA natriuretic-peptide activation. Conclusion The atrial tachyarrhythmia and rapid ventricular response during AF produce distinct atrial remodelling; both contribute to the arrhythmogenic substrate, providing new insights into AF-related remodelling and novel considerations for ventricular rate-control.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tapio Hellman ◽  
Markus Hakamäki ◽  
Roosa Lankinen ◽  
Niina Koivuviita ◽  
Jussi Pärkkä ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The prevalence of left atrial enlargement (LAE) and fragmented QRS (fQRS) diagnosed using ECG criteria in patients with severe chronic kidney disease (CKD) is unknown. Furthermore, there is limited data on predicting new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) with LAE or fQRS in this patient group. Methods We enrolled 165 consecutive non-dialysis patients with CKD stage 4–5 without prior AF diagnosis between 2013 and 2017 in a prospective follow-up cohort study. LAE was defined as total P-wave duration ≥120 ms in lead II ± > 1 biphasic P-waves in leads II, III or aVF; or duration of terminal negative portion of P-wave > 40 ms or depth of terminal negative portion of P-wave > 1 mm in lead V1 from a baseline ECG, respectively. fQRS was defined as the presence of a notched R or S wave or the presence of ≥1 additional R waves (R’) or; in the presence of a wide QRS complex (> 120 ms), > 2 notches in R or S waves in two contiguous leads corresponding to a myocardial region, respectively. Results Mean age of the patients was 59 (SD 14) years, 56/165 (33.9%) were female and the mean estimated glomerular filtration rate was 12.8 ml/min/1.73m2. Altogether 29/165 (17.6%) patients were observed with new-onset AF within median follow-up of 3 [IQR 3, range 2–6] years. At baseline, 137/165 (83.0%) and 144/165 (87.3%) patients were observed with LAE and fQRS, respectively. Furthermore, LAE and fQRS co-existed in 121/165 (73.3%) patients. Neither findings were associated with the risk of new-onset AF within follow-up. Conclusion The prevalence of LAE and fQRS at baseline in this study on CKD stage 4–5 patients not on dialysis was very high. However, LAE or fQRS failed to predict occurrence of new-onset AF in these patients.


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