Prevalence of new-onset atrial fibrillation in hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common lower respiratory tract infection, often complicated by cardiovascular events, including cardiac arrhythmias. New-onset atrial fibrillation (newAF) has been associated with increased mortality in CAP patients, especially in those critically ill; however, limited data on the prevalence of newAF in patients with CAP are available. We aim to estimate the pooled prevalence of newAF and its impact on adverse outcomes in patients with CAP, through a systematic review and meta-analysis. MEDLINE and EMBASE were systematically searched from inception to 27 January 2022. All studies reporting the prevalence of newAF in CAP patients were included and all-cause mortality was extracted when available. The pooled prevalence of newAF, 95% Confidence Intervals (CI), and 95% Prediction Intervals (PI) were computed. The inconsistency index (I²) was calculated to measure heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses were also performed. A protocol for this study was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022307422). Among 7,655 records retrieved, 10 studies were included, with a total of 280,589 CAP patients. Pooled prevalence of newAF in CAP patients was 7.6% (95% CI 6.4–9.0%, 95% PI 4.3–13.1%, I² = 95%). Subgroup analyses showed no significant differences according to geographical location or study design. Patients with newAF had a higher risk of mortality among the studies included in the systematic review. NewAF is a common complication, occurring in 7.6% of CAP patients, with prediction intervals suggesting an even higher burden. CAP patients who develop newAF during hospitalization may be at higher risk of mortality in both short- and long-term follow-up.