Impact of Co-existing Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation on Different Outcomes of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: Nationwide Inpatient Sample Analysis (2020) With Propensity Score Matching.

Various studies in the medical literature reported significant cardiovascular involvement in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Atrial fibrillation (AF) was identified as the most common observed arrhythmia complicating COVID-19 infection with increased risk of short-term mortality. We used the National Inpatient Sample Database (NIS) of 2020 to conduct this retrospective cohort study. Our study's population consisted of adult patients hospitalized for COVID-19 Pneumonia with or without the presence of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). Encounters with COVID 19 and co-existing PAF had higher adjusted odds of inpatient mortality (Adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.11-1.28, p <0.001), longer mean length of hospital stay (LOS) of 1.17 days (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-1.38, p <0.001), and higher odds of different in hospital complications. Based on these results, conducting more prospective/retrospective cohort studies with an emphasis on long-term follow-up on patients who develop PAF following COVID-19 infection is warranted.