Kerina J. Denny, S. Whebell, James McCullough, Kevin B. Laupland, S. Blank, A. Tabah, K. Shekar, Peter Garrett, Mahesh Ramanan, A. Attokaran, Eamon Raith, Humphrey G. M. Walker, Alastair Brown, Kyle C White, James Kerina J. Mandy Andrea Sunil Aashish Lynette Pam A McCullough Denny Tallott Marshall Sane Kumar Morri, James McCullough, Kerina J. Denny, M. Tallott, Andrea Marshall, S. Sane, Aashish Kumar, L. Morrison, Pam Dipplesman, Ahmad Nasser, David Stewart, Vikram Shah, Kyle C White, Adam Suliman, Lachlan Quick, J. Meyer, Ra’eesa Doola, R. Hurford, M. Harward, J. Walsham, Karthik Venkatesh, Adam Visser, Judy Smith, N. Bhadange, Vijo Kuruvilla, Kevin B. Laupland, Felicity Edwards, J. Dhanani, Pierre Clement, Nermin Karamujic, K. Shekar, Dinesh Parmar, G. Cornmell, J. Lavana, Denzil Gill, A. Tabah, Stuart Baker, Hamish Pollock, Kylie Jacobs, Mahesh Ramanan, Prashanti Marella, Jatinder Grewal, Patrick Young, Julia Affleck, Emma L Williams, Peter Garrett, P. Lister, Vikram Masurkar, Lauren Murray, J. Brailsford, J. Garrett, Langa Lutshaba, R. Pusapati, Cameron Anderson, A. Attokaran, Jacobus Poggenpoel, Josephine Reoch, Stephen Luke, Anni Paasilahti, Jennifer Taylor, Eamon Raith, S. Senthuran, S. Whebell, Sananta Dash, Philippa McIlroy, S. Blank, Ben Nash, Michelle Gatton, Z. Tyack, Sam Keogh
2026.2.19Critical Care and Resuscitation
tlooto Summary
Novel onset atrial fibrillation was common amongst patients admitted to the ICU, and amiodarone is commonly prescribed, and future studies are required to determine the optimal short- and long-term management strategies for NOAF complicating critical illness.
Abstract
Objective We aimed to determine the incidence of new onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) in a cohort of intensive care unit (ICU) patients and, further, identify commonly utilised pharmacological strategies for its management in patients with and without sepsis.
Design A multicentre, retrospective observational study was conducted.
Setting Twelve ICUs in Queensland, Australia.
Participants Adult patients, excluding those with cardiothoracic surgical diagnoses, admitted to a participating ICU from 2015 to 2021.
Main outcome measures Main outcome measures included the incidence of NOAF in ICU, association of NOAF with illness severity and outcomes, cardiac rhythm at ICU discharge, and incidence of pharmacological intervention for NOAF in the ICU.
Results NOAF occurred in 8.4 % of included ICU admissions, and was associated with higher illness severity, length of stay, and mortality. The majority of patients who experienced NOAF and survived their ICU stay were discharged from the ICU in a sinus rhythm (68.6 %). Patients with sepsis-associated NOAF were more likely to be in a sinus rhythm at ICU discharge than patients with NOAF without sepsis (72.2 vs 65.7 %). Amiodarone was frequently (50.4 %) prescribed to patients both with (56.5 %) and without (45.3 %) sepsis.
Conclusion NOAF was common amongst patients admitted to the ICU, and amiodarone is commonly prescribed. Future studies are required to determine the optimal short- and long-term management strategies for NOAF complicating critical illness.
Citation format
DENNY, Kerina J., et al. Epidemiology and pharmacological management of new onset atrial fibrillation in critically ill adults: A multicentre observational study. Critical Care and Resuscitation, 2026, 28(1): 100162.