Association of red blood cell distribution width with post-operative new-onset atrial fibrillation following cardiac valve replacement surgery: a retrospective study

Abstract

Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of preoperative red blood cell distribution width (RDW) values on the risk of post-operative new-onset atrial fibrillation (PNAF) during hospitalization following cardiac valve replacement surgery. Materials and methods The clinical data of 148 patients with preoperative sinus rhythm who underwent cardiac valve replacement surgery at The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from September 2017 to June 2018 were retrospectively analysed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to determine the relationship between preoperative RDW values and the development of PNAF. Results Forty-nine of the 148 patients (33.1%) developed PNAF. The median preoperative RDW was 13.1 (12.6–17.2), while the median RDW value was significantly higher in patients with PNAF than in those without PNAF [14.1 (13.2–15.0) vs. 12.9 (12.4–13.5), p < 0.001]. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that preoperative RDW values were significantly correlated with the occurrence of PNAF (odds ratio: 1.940, 95% confidence interval: 1.377–2.731, p < 0.001). Conclusions Preoperative RDW is an independent risk factor for PNAF during hospitalization following cardiac valve replacement surgery. This finding suggests that preoperative RDW measurement may be used to stratify the risk for PNAF development in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.