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Review
. 2015 Nov 10;1(4):140-146.
doi: 10.1515/jccm-2015-0027. eCollection 2015 Oct.

Cardiac Arrhythmias in a Septic ICU Population: A Review

Andrei Schwartz  1 , Evgeni Brotfain  1 , Leonid Koyfman  1 , Moti Klein  1
Affiliations
Review

Cardiac Arrhythmias in a Septic ICU Population: A Review

Andrei Schwartz et al. J Crit Care Med (Targu Mures). .

Abstract

Progressive cardiovascular deterioration plays a central role in the pathogenesis of multiple organ failure (MOF) caused by sepsis. Evidence of various cardiac arrhythmias in septic patients has been reported in many published studies. In the critically ill septic patients, compared to non-septic patients, new onset atrial fibrillation episodes are associated with high mortality rates and poor outcomes, amongst others being new episodes of stroke, heart failure and long vasopressor usage. The potential mechanisms of the development of new cardiac arrhythmias in sepsis are complex and poorly understood. Cardiac arrhythmias in critically ill septic patients are most likely to be an indicator of the severity of pre-existing critical illness.

Keywords: cardiac arrhythmias; new-onset atrial fibrillation; sepsis; septic shock.

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