ABSTRACT
Introduction/Background: COVID-19 is the disease caused by SARSCov2. Various prognostic factors have been studied and described. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an arrhythmia associated with increased complications and mortality in acute situations. The onset of AF in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 could associate a worse prognosis during admission and in the short term. Purpose: The objective of this study is to evaluate the adverse events in the population admitted for COVID-19 that develops AF as well as its possible prognostic value. Methods: Retrospective, cohort study on 391 patients admitted for COVID- 19 in a tertiary hospital. Descriptive and comparative analysis between those with new onset AF versus those who had AF previously in terms of: baseline characteristics, In hospital mortality, bleeding and thrombotic phenomena. Follow-up during three months after discharge. Univariate and multivariate analysis of in-hospital and three-months mortality is also performed. Results: 391 patients were included. 21 of them developed AF. These patients are older, more hypertensive and with more history of cardiopathy. At admission, they presented higher mortality (52.4% vs 19.7%;p<0.001) and bleeding (19% vs 8.4%;p<0.001), also compared to those with previous AF (not significant). New onset AF is not an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality, but rather an independent predictor of three-month mortality. In-hospital mortality predictors are: age >70 years, BCRSS scale >2 points, and severe hypotension. Three-month mortality predictors are: high-sensitive T-troponin <50ng/dl, age >70 years, BCRSS scale >2, creatinine >1.5 mg/dl and new-onset AF. Conclusions: New onset AF appears in 5,3% of these hospitalized patients, who have greater comorbidity, bleeding and in-hospital mortality as well as three-months mortality. New onset AF is not an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality but rather an independent predictor of mortality during the first three months after discharge (Figure Presented).