Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyCohort study
Implementation and first outcomes of a novel standard operating procedure for preprocedural transoesophageal echocardiography screening in course of atrial arrhythmia ablation
- Retrospective cohort study
- matched cohort
- consecutive patients
- single-centre
Authors' conclusion
The number of preprocedural screening TEEs before AF ablation procedures can be safely reduced by applying risk stratification based on rhythm at admission and CHA2DS2-VASc score, if anticoagulation was performed properly.
Study context
- Population
- Patients undergoing catheter ablation of left atrial (LA) arrhythmias, 2018–2022
- Participants
- 1,874 patients
- Exposure
- New standard operating procedure (SOP) for selective preprocedural transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) vs old SOP
- New SOPn = 937
- Outcome
- Number of performed TEEs and incidence of cerebrovascular events
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
TEEs performed
Old SOP
933
events
New SOP
305
events
- Reduction in TEEs performed with new SOP
- 67%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Safety
events
| Outcome | New SOP | Old SOP | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| TIA · no significant difference | 3 | 5 | P = 0.48 |
Stroke
- No stroke events
Solid LA thrombi on TEE screening
- No solid thrombi detected
Original publication
Implementation and first outcomes of a novel standard operating procedure for preprocedural transoesophageal echocardiography screening in course of atrial arrhythmia ablation. Europace. Published 15 September 2023. doi:10.1093/europace/euad279
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it