The Validity of CHADS2 Score as a Predictor of De Novo Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation in Adult Cardiac Surgery Patients

Abstract

Occurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) following cardiac surgery portends higher mortality and is associated with increased costs and risk of thromboembolism. While many anatomic and patient factors have been associated with AF, a simple clinical scoring system to identify patients at high risk of developing AF is lacking. The CHADS2 score is widely utilized to predict the risk of stroke in patients with AF. We aimed to assess the utility of this scoring algorithm in predicting the likelihood of de novo postoperative AF in cardiac surgery patients.