P-wave Dispersion for Predicting Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation in Acute Ischemic Stroke

WOS: 000301065000003
PubMed: 22211098
Background: Detection of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) in acute ischemic stroke patients poses diagnostic challenge. The aim of this study was to predict the presence of PAF by means of 12-lead ECG in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Our hypothesis was that P-wave dispersion (P-d) might be a useful marker in predicting PAF in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Methods: 12-lead resting ECGs, 24-hour Holter recordings and echocardiograms of 400 patients were analyzed retrospectively. PAF was detected in 40 patients on 24-hour Holter monitoring. Forty out of 360 age and gender matched patients without PAF were randomly chosen and assigned as the control group. Demographics, P-wave characteristics and echocardiographic findings of the patients with and without PAF were compared. Results: Maximum P-wave duration (p=0.002), P-d (p