Longer duration of electrocardiographic monitoring after cryptogenic stroke is associated with a greater detection of AF .
BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation ( AF ) is a major cause of stroke .
Although st and ard investigations after an event include electrocardiographic monitoring , the optimal duration to detect AF is unclear .
We performed a systematic review and meta- analysis to determine whether the duration of electrocardiographic monitoring after an ischemic event is related to the detection of AF .
Impact of long-term ECG recording on the detection of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in patients after an acute ischemic stroke.
An ECG recording time of 24 hours has a low yield to detect atrial arrhythmias in patients after an acute ischemic stroke . The present study investigated whether a recording time of 72 instead of 24 hours detects paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in more patients . The study prospect ively included 82 consecutive patients 2 - 3 weeks after an acute ischemic stroke . All patients had sinus rhythm in the resting ECGs and no history of atrial fibrillation or flutter . The frequency of atrial fibrillation was assessed after 24 , 48 , and 72 hours of ambulatory ECG monitoring . An ECG monitoring time of 72 hours documented paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in five ( 6 % ) patients . The episode of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation occurred in only one patient within 24 hours . The other patients had their first episode of atrial fibrillation between 24 and 48 hours ( n = 2 ) and between 48 and 72 hours ( n = 2 ) . These five patients were older ( age = 70 + /- 5 years ) , whereas the mean age of the remaining patients was 59 + /- 13 years . All five patients had cardiovascular disease in comparison to 36 of 77 patients and reported palpitations in comparison to 6 of 77 of the remaining patients . In conclusion , ambulatory ECG monitoring over 72 hours detected after the first recording day four of five patients in whom paroxysmal atrial fibrillation could be documented for the first time . The 72-hour recording time improved , compared to the 24-hour period , the detection of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in patients after an ischemic stroke . It seems to be more efficient to perform prolonged ECG recording mainly in older patients with a cardiovascular disease and /or a history of palpitations
Longer duration of electrocardiographic monitoring after cryptogenic stroke is associated with a greater detection of AF .
BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation ( AF ) is a major cause of stroke .
Although st and ard investigations after an event include electrocardiographic monitoring , the optimal duration to detect AF is unclear .
We performed a systematic review and meta- analysis to determine whether the duration of electrocardiographic monitoring after an ischemic event is related to the detection of AF .