Incidence and Risk Factors of Relapse After Elective Electrical Cardioversion for Atrial Fibrillation: a Protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Abstract BackgroundAtrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent cardiac arrhythmia and it is associated with life-threatening complications such as hemodynamic instability and thromboembolic events. Electrical cardioversion remains its mainstay of treatment and can be performed either urgently or electively. Relapse after electrical cardioversion has been reported by several primary studies with divergent results, but no detailed summary exists for a critical appraisal of its global incidence and risk factors.Therefore, we propose the first systematic review and meta-analysis to synthesize the existing data on the global incidence and risk factors of relapse after electrical cardioversion for AF.MethodsWe will include case-control and cohort studies reporting on the incidence and risk factors of relapse after electrical cardioversion for atrial fibrillation. Electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, WHO Global Health Library and Web of Science will be searched for relevant records published between January 01, 2000, and December 15, 2020. Pairs of independents reviewers will perform study selection and data extraction, as well as an assessment of the methodological quality of included studies. Appropriate meta-analysis will then be used to pool studies judged to be clinically homogenous. Egger’s test and funnel plots will be used to detect publication bias. Findings will be reported and compared by the human development level of countries. ResultsThis systematic review and meta-analysis to synthesize the existing data on the global incidence and risk factors of relapse after electrical cardioversion for AFConclusionThis review is expected to provide relevant data to help in evaluating the burden and risk factors of relapse after electrical cardioversion for atrial fibrillation. The overall findings of this research will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Systematic Review RegistrationThe protocol has been registered in Prospero with this registration number: CRD42020209301