Anaesthetic Techniques for Cardiac Ablation—A Scoping Review Protocol

Background: Cardiac arrhythmias, particularly atrial fibrillation, are highly prevalent and represent a growing global health burden. Cardiac ablation is a commonly used procedure for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, often requiring anaesthesia to ensure patient safety and procedural success. Despite its widespread use, there is no consensus on the optimal anaesthetic strategy, and existing literature mainly addresses isolated techniques or specific populations. The aim of this scoping review is to systematically map the current evidence on anaesthetic methods used during cardiac ablation procedures. Methods: A scoping review will be conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. A comprehensive search strategy will be applied across multiple databases, including Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane, Scopus and Google Scholar. Eligible studies will include all research on adult patients undergoing cardiac ablation, focusing on any anaesthetic or sedative techniques used. Study selection and data extraction will be performed by independent reviewers, and results will be summarized descriptively. Results: In the final review, findings will be presented through a descriptive and narrative summary, supplemented by tables, figures and graphs where applicable. Conclusion: This scoping review will provide a structured overview of the landscape of anaesthesia methods in cardiac ablations. The findings will help uncover knowledge gaps and inform future research and clinical decision-making regarding anaesthesia strategies in the management of cardiac arrhythmias.