Severe Cardiac Autonomic Derangement and Altered Ventricular Repolarization Pave the Way to Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation

Abstract

Profound cardiac autonomic derangement, suggestive of parasympathetic excessive modulation, exists preoperatively in patients inclined to POAF after cardiac surgery, whereby parameters PNN50 and α2 differentiated the AF from the non-AF group. Prolonged QTc intervals are associated with an increased risk of POAF.