Study protocol: diagnosis of atrial fibrillation in postoperative thoracic surgery using a smartwatch, an open-label randomised controlled study (THOFAWATCH trial).

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) affects approximately 20% of patients undergoing thoracic surgery and is associated with severe complications such as stroke, myocardial infarction, heart failure, and increased mortality. Early diagnosis is critical to mitigate these risks, but conventional monitoring is limited in detecting asymptomatic episodes. Smartwatches equipped with single-lead ECG and atrial fibrillation (AF) detection algorithms offer a novel approach for early POAF detection. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of smartwatch-based monitoring compared with standard care in identifying POAF following thoracic surgery.

Methods and analysis

The THOFAWATCH trial is a randomised, bicentric open-label study enrolling 302 adult patients unde

SUBMITTER: Huette P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11987144 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature