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. 2023 Dec 15;26(1):euad361. doi: 10.1093/europace/euad361

Table 4.

Baseline characteristics and case description of patients with in-hospital death with likely direct relation to the coded prior catheter ablation of either a ventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, or right isthmus dependent atrial flutter (n = 27)

NR Age (Y) Gender Comorbidities CMP ICD LVEF (%) Antiarrhythmic medication OAC LOS Cause of death
Atrial fibrillation
1 61 Male None NICM Yes 35 Amiodarone None 4 Post-interventional cardiac tamponade
2 65 Female PVD None No 69 None None 20 Cardiogenic shock after esophago-atrial fistula with LA perforation
3 92 Male PVD None No 50 None Apixaban 15 Post-interventional CPR due to hypoxia-related asphyxia based on a nosocomial pneumonia
4 84 Female None NA No 55 Amiodarone Rivaroxaban 7 Post-interventional cardiac tamponade
5 69 Female PVD None No 55 None Phenprocoumon 6 Septic multiorgan failure with possible ablation-associated severe infection
6 79 Female CKD None No NA None Phenprocoumon 4 Death following resuscitation after operation of a post-interventional vascular complication
7 67 Female None None No 55 None Phenprocoumon 18 CPR due to pulseless electrical activity in the setting of a haemorrhagic shock due to a post-interventional pericardial effusion
8 80 Male None NICM Yes 20 None Rivaroxaban 23 Post-interventional pulmonary arterial embolism
9 70 Male CKD ICM Yes 40 Amiodarone and mexiletine None 36 Hypoxic brain injury of unknown cause after ablation
Atrial flutter
10 38 Male None None No 63 None None 1 Intra-procedural pericardial tamponade after ablation with cardiogenic shock and death
11 77 Male None None No 60 None None 6 Post-interventional stroke
12 51 Female None ICM No 54 None Phenprocoumon 5 Retroperitoneal bleeding after ablation in the presence of intensive oral anticoagulation for mechanical mitral valve
13 86 Male COPD None No 73 None Apixaban 18 Post-interventional stroke
Ventricular tachycardia
14 67 Male PVD, COPD, CKD ICM Yes 30 Mexiletine Phenprocoumon 43 CPR with pulmonary embolism and electro-mechanic uncoupling after VT ablation; 43 days after ablation septic shock
15 49 Male PVD, CKD ICM Yes 12 None Phenprocoumon 11 Septic shock after acute ischaemia of the popliteal artery with necrosis
16 72 Female PVD ICM No 45 None None 2 Pulmonary arterial embolism
17 80 Male None NICM Yes 30 Amiodarone Apixaban 2 Post-interventional cardiac tamponade
18 47 Male None NICM Yes 12 None Phenprocoumon 12 Post-interventional stroke
19 75 Male None ICM Yes 40 Amiodarone Phenprocoumon 15 Post-interventional stroke
20 63 Male NICM NICM Yes 30 Amiodarone Phenprocoumon 10 Aortic puncture at transseptal puncture with fatal haemorrhagic shock
21 64 Male NA NA Yes NA Mexiletine None 6 Intra-procedural pericardial tamponade with surgical management and post-operative sepsis resulting in a combined septic and cardiogenic shock
22 64 Male None NICM No 39 None None 6 Post-interventional tamponade
23 79 Male None NICM Yes 19 Amiodarone and mexiletine Phenprocoumon 11 Post-interventional tamponade
24 68 Female PVD ICM Yes 20 Amiodarone None 2 Post-interventional tamponade
25 89 Male PVD ICM NA 51 Amiodarone None NA Post-interventional death due to severe pneumonia associated sepsis and shock following ablation
26 69 Male PVD NICM Yes 23 Amiodarone Phenprocoumon 32 Death due to thrombosis with acute leg ischaemia during VT ablation
27 75 Male PVD none No 50 Amiodarone Phenprocoumon 15 Post-interventional stroke with consequent aspiration pneumonia and sepsis

AFL, right atrial isthmus dependent atrial flutter; CKD, chronic kidney disease; CMP, cardiomyopathy; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CPR, cardiopulmonary resuscitation; ICM, ischaemic cardiomyopathy; LOS, length of stay; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; NA, not available; NICM, non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy; OAC, oral anticoagulation; OHCA, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest; PVD, peripheral vascular disease; VF, ventricular fibrillation; VT, ventricular tachycardia.