P-wave Dispersion for Predicting Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation in Acute Ischemic Stroke

Abstract
Background: Detection of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) in acute ischemic stroke patients poses diagnostic challenge. The aim of this study was to predict the presence of PAF by means of 12-lead ECG in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Our hypothesis was that P-wave dispersion (Pd) might be a useful marker in predicting PAF in patients with acute ischemic stroke.