PURPOSE: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to assess the risk of thromboembolism associated with atrial flutter. METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, bibliographies, and consultation with clinical experts were used to identify studies that report the risk of thromboembolism associated with attempted cardioversion and longer-term risk in chronic atrial flutter. The review process and data extraction were performed by two reviewers. Study event rates were assessed graphically, and a chi-squared test was used to assess heterogeneity across studies. Meta-regression with weighted logistic regression was used to assess the association between study-level clinical factors and reported thromboembolic event rates. RESULTS: We found 13 studies that reported the risk of thromboembolism associated with cardioversion of atrial flutter. Short-term event rates ranged from 0% to 7.3%. A chi-squared test for heterogeneity was significant (P < 0.001), so results were not pooled. Instead, a meta-regression analysis was performed, which partly explained the heterogeneity across studies. Studies were more likely to report high event rates when they included patients with a prior history of thromboembolism, and to report lower event rates when at least some patients were anticoagulated or if patients underwent echocardiography before cardioversion. Four studies reported the longer-term risk of thromboembolism, and these suggest a yearly event rate of approximately 3% with sustained atrial flutter. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that atrial flutter is indeed associated with an increased risk of thromboembolism, and that clinical factors account for the low event rates reported in some studies.
PURPOSE: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to assess the risk of thromboembolism associated with atrial flutter. METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, bibliographies, and consultation with clinical experts were used to identify studies that report the risk of thromboembolism associated with attempted cardioversion and longer-term risk in chronic atrial flutter. The review process and data extraction were performed by two reviewers. Study event rates were assessed graphically, and a chi-squared test was used to assess heterogeneity across studies. Meta-regression with weighted logistic regression was used to assess the association between study-level clinical factors and reported thromboembolic event rates. RESULTS: We found 13 studies that reported the risk of thromboembolism associated with cardioversion of atrial flutter. Short-term event rates ranged from 0% to 7.3%. A chi-squared test for heterogeneity was significant (P < 0.001), so results were not pooled. Instead, a meta-regression analysis was performed, which partly explained the heterogeneity across studies. Studies were more likely to report high event rates when they included patients with a prior history of thromboembolism, and to report lower event rates when at least some patients were anticoagulated or if patients underwent echocardiography before cardioversion. Four studies reported the longer-term risk of thromboembolism, and these suggest a yearly event rate of approximately 3% with sustained atrial flutter. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that atrial flutter is indeed associated with an increased risk of thromboembolism, and that clinical factors account for the low event rates reported in some studies.
Authors: Demosthenes G Katritsis; Giuseppe Boriani; Francisco G Cosio; Pierre Jais; Gerhard Hindricks; Mark E Josephson; Roberto Keegan; Bradley P Knight; Karl-Heinz Kuck; Deirdre A Lane; Gregory Yh Lip; Helena Malmborg; Hakan Oral; Carlo Pappone; Sakis Themistoclakis; Kathryn A Wood; Kim Young-Hoon; Carina Blomström Lundqvist Journal: Arrhythm Electrophysiol Rev Date: 2016
Authors: Brenton M Wong; Jeffrey J Perry; Wei Cheng; Bo Zheng; Kevin Guo; Monica Taljaard; Allan C Skanes; Ian G Stiell Journal: CJEM Date: 2021-03-14 Impact factor: 2.410
Authors: Faisal Rahman; Na Wang; Xiaoyan Yin; Patrick T Ellinor; Steven A Lubitz; Paul A LeLorier; David D McManus; Lisa M Sullivan; Sudha Seshadri; Ramachandran S Vasan; Emelia J Benjamin; Jared W Magnani Journal: Heart Rhythm Date: 2015-07-28 Impact factor: 6.343