Utilidad de un segundo monitoreo Holter de 24 horas para el diagnóstico de fibrilación auricular paroxística después de un accidente cerebrovascular agudo.

OBJETIVE:

to assess the utility of a second 24-hours Holter monitoring for the diagnosis of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) in patients with suspected cardioembolic ischemic stroke.

METHODS:

prospective study of ischemic stroke patients (brain infarction/TIA) treated in a Stroke Center (June 2010-February 2011). A first 24-hours Holter monitoring was performed if PAF was suspected and, if it was negative, a second 24-hours Holter monitoring was performed. Variables analyzed: demographic data, vascular risk factors, stroke severity and etiological subtype, presence of carotid plaques by duplex ultrasound, enlarged left atrial by transthoracic/transesophageal echocardiography and presence of chronic/acute brain infarctions by neuroimaging (CT/MRI).

RESULTS:

219 patients included, mean age 69.8 (SD 13.5) years, 55.3% male. 17.8% have previous atrial fibrillation (AF). In 14 (6.4%) patients AF was diagnosed by ECG on admission or by serial ECG in the Stroke Unit. 24-hours Holter was performed in 101 patients to assess the presence of PAF, 85 cases during hospitalization and 16 at the outpatient clinic. This 24-hours Holter diagnosed PAF in 28.7% (29/101) of patients. A second 24-hours Holter was performed at the outpatient clinic in 21 cryptogenic brain ischemia patients. The mean time from the first to the second Holter was 143.3 (SD 72.2) days. This second 24-hours Holter detected PAF in 2 (9.5%) patients.

CONCLUSION:

a second 24-hours Holter monitoring at the outpatient clinic could detect PAF in almost 10% of cryptogenic ischemic stroke patients.