Long-term Outcomes Following Development of New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation During Sepsis

BACKGROUND: New-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with adverse outcomes during a sepsis hospitalization; however, long-term outcomes following hospitalization with sepsis-associated new-onset AF are unclear. METHODS: We used a Medicare 5% sample to identify patients who survived hospitalization with sepsis between 1999 and 2010. AF status was defined as no AF, prior AF, or new-onset AF based on AF claims during and prior to a sepsis hospitalization. We used competing risk models to determine 5-year risks of AF occurrence, heart failure, ischemic stroke, and mortality aft er the sepsis hospitalization, according to AF status during the sepsis admission. RESULTS: We identified 138,722 sepsis survivors, of whom 95,536 (69%) had no AF during sepsis, 33,646 (24%) had prior AF, and 9,540 (7%) had new-onset AF during sepsis. AF occurrence following sepsis hospitalization was more common among patients with new-onset AF during sepsis (54.9%) than in patients with no AF during sepsis (15.5%). Compared with patients with no AF during sepsis, those with new-onset AF during sepsis had greater 5-year risks of hospitalization for heart failure (11.2% vs 8.2%; multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.25; 95% CI, 1.16-1.34), ischemic stroke (5.3% vs 4.7%; HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.10-1.36), and death (74.8% vs 72.1%; HR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01-1.07). CONCLUSIONS: Most sepsis survivors with new-onset AF during sepsis have AF occur aft er discharge from the sepsis hospitalization and have increased long-term risks of heart failure, ischemic stroke, and death. Our findings may have implications for posthospitalization surveillance of patients with new-onset AF during a sepsis hospitalization.