Discussion
In this retrospective study of 1004 patients undergoing initial AF
ablation, we found that DHF which needed medical therapy during
post-ablation hospitalization or re-hospitalization < 90 days
after the ablation occurred in 32 (3%) patients. DHF frequently
occurred in the first 48 hours after the procedure. Independent
predictors of DHF were lower Δheart rate and early recurrence of AF. In
particular, lower Δheart rate was an independent predictor of early
peri-procedural DHF, which occurred within 2 days after the procedure,
and early recurrence of AF was an independent predictor of late
peri-procedural DHF, which occurred ≥ 3 days after the procedure.
Freedom from AF recurrence was similar between patients with and without
DHF. In contrast, freedom from late phase DHF requiring
re-hospitalization was significantly lower in patients with DHF than
without DHF.