%0 Journal Article
%T Clotting state after cardioversion of atrial fibrillation: a haemostasis index could detect the relationship with the arrhythmia duration
%A Eleni Hatzinikolaou-Kotsakou
%A Zafirios Kartasis
%A Dimitrios Tziakas
%A Dimitrios Stakos
%A Athanasios Hotidis
%A Georgios Chalikias
%A Georgios Bourikas
%A Dimitrios I Hatseras
%J Thrombosis Journal
%D 2005
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1477-9560-3-2
%X We hypothesized that i) there is a hyperclotting state after the return of atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm, ii) the measurement of plasma D-Dimer levels might be a good screening tool of this clotting status, and iii) the duration of arrhythmia influences the haemostasis measured by plasma D-Dimer levels.Forty-two patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing cardioversion were divided into two groups: in Group A (n = 24,14 male, 56 ¡À 11 years) the duration of atrial fibrillation was 72 hours or more (142.7 ¡À 103.8 hours), in Group B (n = 18, 10 male, 61 ¡À 13 years) the duration of atrial fibrillation was less than 72 hours (25 ¡À 16 hours). Plasma fibrin D-dimer levels were measured by enzyme immunoassay before, and 36 hours after, cardioversion. The change of plasma D-dimer levels 36 hours after cardioversion was calculated as delta-D-dimer.There were no significant differences in demographic, clinical, and echocardiographic data, and the success of cardioversion between the two groups. Compared to the control, the baseline D-dimer levels were significantly higher in both groups. The delta D-dimer levels were significantly higher in Group A than in Group B (p < 0.005). Furthermore, plasma D-dimer levels 36 hours after cardioversion (r = 0.52, p = 0.0016) and delta-D-dimer levels (r = 0.73, p < 0.0001) showed significant correlations with the duration of atrial fibrillation.The longer duration of the atrial fibrillation episode could lead to a more prominent cardiovascular hyperclotting state after cardioversion, and the mean changes of plasma D-Dimer levels could be used as an useful clinical marker of the clotting state after atrial systole return.Atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained arrhythmia in clinical practice. It is associated with an increased risk of thrombus formation, resulting in substantial morbidity, with the augmented risk of stroke being the most serious. This could be explained by haemostasis conditions favouring thrombosis: previous
%K Atrial fibrillation
%K haemostatic markers
%U http://www.thrombosisjournal.com/content/3/1/2