Nonlinear heart rate variability analysis may predict atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting.

Abstract

Heart rate variability might predict arrhythmias after coronary artery bypass grafting. Off-line processing of 10-min electrocardiogram recordings of consecutive patients provided R-R intervals for time domain, frequency domain, Poincaré, and point correlation analyses and subsequent association with postoperative atrial fibrillation by stepwise multivariate logistic regression. Of 88 patients who met entry criteria, 13 developed atrial fibrillation. Peak point correlation dimension (odds ratio 3.985/unit, P = 0.0096) and age (odds ratio 1.144/yr, P = 0.0019) were independently associated with atrial fibrillation (c-statistic = 0.839). Further study should confirm the ability of peak point correlation dimension to predict atrial fibrillation after coronary artery surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.