Adherence, knowledge, and perception about oral anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation at high risk for thromboembolic events after radiofrequency ablation

2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (11) ◽  
pp. 2577-2587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lily Smet ◽  
Ward A. Heggermont ◽  
Eva Goossens ◽  
Kristof Eeckloo ◽  
Robert Vander Stichele ◽  
...  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (15) ◽  
pp. 3212
Author(s):  
Fabiana Lucà ◽  
Simona Giubilato ◽  
Stefania Angela Di Fusco ◽  
Laura Piccioni ◽  
Carmelo Massimiliano Rao ◽  
...  

The therapeutic dilemma between rhythm and rate control in the management of atrial fibrillation (AF) is still unresolved and electrical or pharmacological cardioversion (CV) frequently represents a useful strategy. The most recent guidelines recommend anticoagulation according to individual thromboembolic risk. Vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) have been routinely used to prevent thromboembolic events. Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) represent a significant advance due to their more predictable therapeutic effect and more favorable hemorrhagic risk profile. In hemodynamically unstable patients, an emergency electrical cardioversion (ECV) must be performed. In this situation, intravenous heparin or low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) should be administered before CV. In patients with AF occurring within less than 48 h, synchronized direct ECV should be the elective procedure, as it restores sinus rhythm quicker and more successfully than pharmacological cardioversion (PCV) and is associated with shorter length of hospitalization. Patients with acute onset AF were traditionally considered at lower risk of thromboembolic events due to the shorter time for atrial thrombus formation. In patients with hemodynamic stability and AF for more than 48 h, an ECV should be planned after at least 3 weeks of anticoagulation therapy. Alternatively, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) to rule out left atrial appendage thrombus (LAAT) should be performed, followed by ECV and anticoagulation for at least 4 weeks. Theoretically, the standardized use of TEE before CV allows a better stratification of thromboembolic risk, although data available to date are not univocal.


Circulation ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 114 (8) ◽  
pp. 759-765 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hakan Oral ◽  
Aman Chugh ◽  
Mehmet Özaydın ◽  
Eric Good ◽  
Jackie Fortino ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 686-692
Author(s):  
O. V. Reshetko ◽  
A. V. Sokolov ◽  
N. V. Furman ◽  
V. V. Agapov

Aim. To study the changes that have occurred in the pharmacotherapy of atrial fibrillation (AF) in the Saratov Region for 5 years by analyzing the antithrombotic therapy of patients who were admitted in a specialized department of the multidisciplinary hospital in Saratov in 2011-2012 and in 2016-2017.Material and methods. A pharmacoepidemiological retrospective study was conducted. The object of the study was the medical records of inpatients (Form 003/y) with the diagnosis “Atrial fibrillation” (ICD-X code I48), that consecutively admitted to the cardiology department of the multidisciplinary hospital in Saratov from January 1, 2011 to December, 31, 2012 (n=211) and from January 1, 2016 to December, 31, 2017 (n=227). Criteria for inclusion in the study: patients over 18 years of age, established diagnosis of non-valvular AF of ischemic genesis. Exclusion criteria from the study: non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, thyrotoxicosis, congenital heart defects, rheumatic heart damage, acute coronary syndrome, endocarditis, myocarditis, pericarditis, pulmonary thromboembolism, the presence of prosthetic heart valve. Pharmacoepidemiological analysis was carried out for the drugs prescribed during hospitalization and given by doctors at discharge of patients from the hospital. The risk of ischemic stroke was assessed using the CHA2DS2-VASc score, and the risk of bleeding – according to the HAS-BLED score.Results. When analyzing the risk of ischemic stroke, it was found that 100% of patients in 2011-2012 years and 98.2% in 2016-2017 years had indications for the prescription of oral anticoagulants (OAСs). In 2011-2012 there were no patients with a low risk of stroke (CHA2DS2-VASc=0). High risk of bleeding (HAS-BLED≥3) occurred in 4.7% of patients in 2011-2012 and in 10.6% in 2016-2017, however, due to the high risk of stroke, the refusal to prescribe OAC in these patients was inappropriate in accordance with the recommendations for the treatment of AF. In the group of patients with CHA2DS2-VASc=0 in 2016-2017 antiplatelet therapy was prescribed in 100% at the hospital stage and at discharge, which contradicts the guidelines, according to which antithrombotic therapy is not recommended to patients with CHA2DS2-VASc=0. In patients with CHA2DS2-VASc=1, a low percentage of anticoagulants prescription was noted. In 2016-2017 OACs were prescribed only in 12.5% of patients at all stages of observation. In 2011-2012 OAC alone was prescribed only to 1 person (20%) at the hospital stage, which does not comply with modern guidelines for the treatment of patients with AF, according to which patients with a risk score CHA2DS2-VASc=1 are recommended to receive OACs in the absence of contraindications. OACs prescription in group CHA2DS2-VASc≥2 occurred only in 15% of patients in 2011-2012 and in a third of patients in 2016-2017 (p<0.05). The frequency of isolated use of OACs significantly increased in 2016-2017 compared to 2011-2012 mainly due to the increase in the spectrum of direct OACs (DOACs) (p<0.05).Conclusion. For 5 years there have been significant changes in the antithrombotic therapy of AF in the Saratov Region. The frequency of prescribing OACs according to indications has increased mainly due to the introduction of the DOACs into clinical practice. However, prevention of stroke remains insufficient.


2013 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Orso ◽  
Riccardo Barucci ◽  
Stefania Fracchia ◽  
Giulio Mannarino ◽  
Alessandra Pratesi ◽  
...  

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent cardiac arrhythmia and its incidence increases with age reaching a 10% prevalence in the oldest old. Patients with AF have a five-fold increase in the risk of stroke. Current guidelines on AF management recommend the prescription of oral anticoagulant therapy in patients at medium and high risk of thromboembolic events. Advanced age is a risk factor for stroke in AF, but despite clear evidences a high rate of OAT under prescription is reported and particularly in the oldest old. Among the main causes of this phenomenon an enhanced risk of bleeding is often reported: this due to several factors: risk of falls, the presence of comorbidity and polifarmacy and a reduction in compliance and adherence that are common in the elderly. In recent years the international scenario in the management of OAT has significantly changed since the introduction of the new oral anticoagulants (NOA): Dabigatran, a direct thrombin inhibitor, and two oral factor Xa inhibitors Rivaroxaban and Apixaban, which have all been tested in randomized clinical trial (RELY, ROCKET-AF e ARISTOTLE) which have demonstrated non inferiority compared to warfarin in the prevention of thromboembolic events with an optimal safety profile. NOA could be an important therapeutic opportunity for stroke prevention in elderly patients with AF even if the substantial differences in mean age, anthropometric measures and comorbidity of the patients enrolled in these trials compared with those of the real world setting, oblige some caution and discussion.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-53
Author(s):  
V. I. Petrov ◽  
O. V. Shatalova ◽  
A. S. Gerasimenko ◽  
V. S. Gorbatenko

Aim. To study the frequency of prescribing antithrombotic agents in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) who were hospitalized in the cardiology department of a multidisciplinary hospital.Material and methods. A retrospective one-time study of medical records of 765 patients with non-valvular AF treated in the cardiology department of a multidisciplinary hospital in 2012 and 2016 was performed.Results. All patients were stratified in three groups depending on the CHA2DS2-VASc score. The frequency of prescribing antithrombotic agents was evaluated in each group. A low risk of thromboembolic complications was found in 1% (n=3) of patients in 2012 and 0.6% (n=3) in 2016. All these patients received antithrombotic agents. CHA2DS2-VASc=1 was found in 6% (n=15) of patients with AF in 2012 and in 3.4% (n=17) in 2016. A significant number of patients in this group received anticoagulant therapy with vitamin K antagonists (warfarin) or with direct oral anticoagulants. A high risk of thromboembolic complications (CHA2DS2-VASc≥2) was found in 93% of patient (n=245) in 2012 and in 96% (n=482) in 2016. Anticoagulant therapy was prescribed in 70.2% (n=172) patients with high risk in 2012 and 80% (n=387) in 2016. However, some patients with high risk of thromboembolic complications did not have the necessary therapy.Conclusion. Positive changes in the structure and frequency of prescribing anticoagulant drugs in patients with AF and a high risk of thromboembolic complications were found during the years studied. 


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (24) ◽  
pp. 2371-2388
Author(s):  
Aristeidis H Katsanos ◽  
Hooman Kamel ◽  
Jeff S. Healey ◽  
Robert G. Hart

Ischemic strokes related to atrial fibrillation are highly prevalent, presenting with severe neurologic syndromes and associated with high risk of recurrence. Although advances have been made in both primary and secondary stroke prevention for patients with atrial fibrillation, the long-term risks for stroke recurrence and bleeding complications from antithrombotic treatment remain substantial. We summarize the major advances in stroke prevention for patients with atrial fibrillation during the past 30 years and focus on novel diagnostic and treatment approaches currently under investigation in ongoing clinical trials. Non–vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants have been proven to be safer and equally effective compared with warfarin in stroke prevention for patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Non–vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants are being investigated for the treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation and rheumatic heart disease, for the treatment of patients with recent embolic stroke of undetermined source and indirect evidence of cardiac embolism, and in the prevention of vascular-mediated cognitive decline in patients with atrial fibrillation. Multiple clinical trials are assessing the optimal timing of non–vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant initiation after a recent ischemic stroke and the benefit:harm ratio of non–vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant treatment in patients with atrial fibrillation and history of previous intracranial bleeding. Ongoing trials are addressing the usefulness of left atrial appendage occlusion in both primary and secondary stroke prevention for patients with atrial fibrillation, including those with high risk of bleeding. The additive value of prolonged cardiac monitoring for subclinical atrial fibrillation detection through smartphone applications or implantable cardiac devices, together with the optimal medical management of individuals with covert paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, is a topic of intensive research interest. Colchicine treatment and factor XIa inhibition constitute 2 novel pharmacologic approaches that might provide future treatment options in the secondary prevention of cardioembolic stroke attributable to atrial fibrillation.


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