The Relationship between the Changes of Blood NT-proBNP Levels and Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation Occurance in Coronary Artery By-Pass Grafting Surgery Patients

Background: The new onset of atrial fibrillation (NOAF) can be occurred after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. NOAF can be occurred because of postoperative severe hemodynamic instability, long duration of ICU and hospital staying time, morbidity and mortality. Our aim of this study was to investigate whether N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a cause of NOAF after CABG. Methods: Forty CABG patients were enrolled for this study. Twenty patients operated on cardiopulmonary bypass (Group I; n: 20). The remaining patients have operated using a beating heart technique (Group II; n: 20). The NT-proBNP levels were calculated pre- and postoperatively. Results: High rate of NOAF was detected in group I patients (P < 0.05). In both groups, the NT-proBNP levels were low with sinus rhythm. The NT-proBNP blood levels in different times (T1, T2, T3, T4) among Group I were found higher than Group II. Conclusions: Our research demonstrated that there was a strongly close relationship between blood NT-proBNP levels’ and atrial fibrillation occurrence in CABG patients. According to our results to detect postoperative AF development in early time and its treatment, blood NT-proBNP levels can be calculated in those patients for reducing morbidity and mortality due to AF.