Lung Transplantation Develops Irregular Heartbeat

Patients receiving donated lungs may develop arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation. Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in Texas reviewed the charts of all lung transplant recipients in 2006 and 2007. Of the 75 patients who underwent lung transplant, 38 percent developed arrhythmias within 30 days of transplantation. The most common arrhythmia was atrial fibrillation, followed by atrial flutter. Researchers speculate that the donor-derived tissue (atrial cuff or pulmonary vein) is a likely source of the arrhythmias passed to lung recipients.

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