Incidence and Prognosis of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Sepsis.

Abstract

BackgroundAlthough the mortality rate among patients with sepsis is declining, the incidence of both sepsis and sepsis-related deaths is increasing, likely due to its presence in a growing elderly population. As atrial fibrillation is more common in the elderly, we hypothesize that its presence will be associated with greater mortality among patients with sepsis.MethodsThe Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) database of a large tertiary care medical center was queried for sepsis-related codes and atrial fibrillation.ResultsAtrial fibrillation was associated with older age and a higher mortality in this series of patients with sepsis.ConclusionsWhether atrial fibrillation is a marker of disease severity or contributes to mortality is uncertain. Further studies are necessary to determine optimal management.