Detecting Atrial Fibrillation after Transient In-Hospital Episodes

Transient atrial fibrillation (AF) is common among patients hospitalized for medical illness or after noncardiac surgery, but the best approach to heart rhythm monitoring after discharge remains uncertain. In a prospective study, ≈30% of such patients had recurrent AF after discharge, which was detected during two 14-day monitoring periods at 1 and 6 months. To determine the optimal monitoring duration for identifying recurrent AF, researchers reexamined these data. Equal numbers of the 139 patients (mean age, 72; median CHA₂DS₂-VASc score, 3) had undergone medical hospitalization or noncardiac surgery. AF was defined as a continuous episode lasting at least 30 seconds.