CASE 9—2015 Anesthetic Management of a Patient With Esophago-Pericardial Fistula Complicating Atrial Fibrillation Radiofrequency Ablation

ATRIAL FIBRILLATION (AF) REMAINS the most common arrhythmia in the elderly population.1,2 Treatment of AF is tailored toward rhythm and heart rate control using antiarrhythmic medications and anticoagulation therapy to prevent embolic stroke. However, antiarrhythmic therapy fails in a significant number of patients. Drug-refractory AF currently is managed with catheter ablation (CA) procedures, which are associated with a complication rate of about 5% and a mortality rate of approximately 0.001%.
Source: Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia - Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Tags: Case Conferences Source Type: research