Objectives: To analyze the safety of electric cardioversion performed for recent-onset atrial fibrillation in a hospital emergency department.
Material and methods: Observational retrospective analysis of consecutive emergency department cases of atrial fibrillation of less than 48 hours' duration in hemodynamically stable patients. All included cases were either treated with emergency electric cardioversion or referred for evaluation and scheduling of outpatient cardioversion. The outcome variable was the occurrence of a thromboembolic or hemorrhagic event within 90 days.
Results: A total of 718 cardioversions in 570 patients were analyzed. The mean (SD) age of the patients was 64 (13.5) years. Four hundred seventy-nine emergency cardioversions (66.7%) and 239 (33.3%) scheduled cardioversions were performed. Eleven adverse events (1.5% of the cohort) occurred: 2 were thromboembolic events (0.3%) and 9 were hemorrhagic (1.3%). All bleeds were minor. There were no statistically significant differences in the rate of adverse events between the emergency and scheduled cardioversion groups.
Conclusion: Emergency cardioversion for recent-onset atrial fibrillation is safe.
Objetivo: Analizar la seguridad de la cardioversión de la fibrilación auricular (FA) de reciente comienzo realizada en un servicio de urgencias hospitalario (SUH).
Metodo: Estudio observacional, retrospectivo y analítico en un SUH. Se recogieron de forma consecutiva los episodios de FA de menos de 48 horas de evolución y hemodinámicamente estables, en los que se realizó una cardioversión urgente (CVU) y los episodios derivados para valorar cardioversión programada ambulatoria (CVP). La variable de resultado fue la presencia de eventos embólicos (EE) o hemorrágicos (EH) a los 90 días.
Resultados: Se analizaron 718 cardioversiones en 570 pacientes. La edad media fue de 64 años (DE 13,5). Se realizaron 479 (66,7%) CVU y 239 (33,3%) CVP. Se recogieron un total de 11 (1,5%) eventos: dos EE (0,3%) y 9 EH (1,3%). Todos los EH fueron hemorragias menores. No se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre ambos grupos.
Conclusiones: La CVU de la FA de reciente comienzo en los SUH es una estrategia segura.
Keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Cardioversión; Electric countershock; Emergency department; Fibrilación auricular; Urgencias.