Reliability of pulse palpation in the detection of atrial fibrillation in an elderly population

Purpose: Atrial fibrillation (AF) may first present as an ischemic stroke. Pulse palpation is a potential screening method for asymptomatic AF. We aimed to assess the reliability of pulse palpation by the elderly in detecting AF.Materials and methods: After brief information and training session conducted by a nurse, 173 subjects aged 75 years were instructed to palpate their pulse regularly for a month. After this, their ability to distinguish sinus rhythm (SR), SR with premature ventricular contractions (PVC) and AF by pulse palpation was assessed using an anatomic human arm model programmable with various rhythms. A control group of 57 healthcare professionals received the same information but not the training. Subjects unable to find the pulse were excluded (25 (14.5%) of the elderly and none in the healthcare group).Results: The median age of the elderly subjects was 78.4 [3.9] years and 98 (56.6%) were women. There were no differences between the elderly and healthcare groups in detecting SR (97.3% vs. 96.5%) or SR with PVCs (74.3% vs. 71.4%), but the elderly subjects identified slow (81.8% vs. 56.1%) and fast AF (91.9% vs. 80.7%) significantly better than the healthcare group. The ability to recognize SR with PVCs by the elderly was independently predicted by previous pulse palpation experience, secondary or higher level of education and one-point increase in MMSE score, while identifying the other rhythms had no predictors.Conclusions: The elderly can learn to reliably distinguish a normal rhythm after education. Pulse self-palpation may be a useful low-cost method to screen for asymptomatic AF

Real-life experience with non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants versus warfarin in patients undergoing elective cardioversion of atrial fibrillation

Background Nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are increasingly used in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing elective cardioversion (ECV). The aim was to investigate the use of NOACs and warfarin in ECV in a real-life setting and to assess how the chosen regimen affected the delay to ECV and rate of complications.Methods Consecutive AF patients undergoing ECVs in the city hospitals of Helsinki between January 2015 and December 2016 were studied. Data on patient characteristics, delays to cardioversion, anticoagulation treatment, acute (<30 days) complications, and regimen changes within one year were evaluated.Results Nine hundred patients (59.2% men; mean age, 68.0 +/- 10.0) underwent 992 ECVs, of which 596 (60.0%) were performed using NOACs and 396 (40.0%) using warfarin. The mean CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc score was 2.5 (+/- 1.6). In patients without previous anticoagulation treatment, NOACs were associated with a shorter mean time to cardioversion than warfarin (51 versus. 68 days, respectively; p < .001). Six thromboembolic events (0.6%) occurred: 4 (0.7%) in NOAC-treated patients and 2 (0.5%) in warfarin-treated patients. Clinically relevant bleeding events occurred in seven patients (1.8%) receiving warfarin and three patients (0.5%) receiving NOACs. Anticoagulation treatment was altered for 99 patients (11.0%) during the study period, with the majority (88.2%) of changes from warfarin to NOACs.Conclusions In this real-life study, the rates of thromboembolic and bleeding complications were low in AF patients undergoing ECV. Patients receiving NOAC therapy had a shorter time to cardioversion and continued their anticoagulation therapy more often than patients on warfarin

Intensity of anticoagulation and risk of thromboembolism after elective cardioversion of atrial fibrillation

AbstractBACKGROUND: Elective cardioversion (ECV) for atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with a relatively low risk of thromboembolic complications. However, the optimal intensity of anticoagulation for ECV is unknown. We sought to assess the risk of thromboembolism in low (INR 2.0-2.4) vs. high (INR≥2.5) therapeutic range in a large retrospective cohort study.METHODS: This multi-centre "real world" study included 1424 ECVs in 1021 patients. The primary outcome was a stroke or a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or a systemic embolus during the 30-day follow-up after ECV.RESULTS: Altogether 4 (0.3%) strokes, 2 (0.1%) TIAs and 2 (0.1%) bleeds were detected during the 30-day follow-up after ECV. No systemic emboli were detected. There were 2 deaths (0.1%), one associated with a stroke. Median time to stroke/TIA was 4 (IQR 9.5) days and the median CHA2DS2-VASc-score was 2 (IQR 1.25) among patients with thromboembolic events. Mean INR at ECV was 2.7 (SD 0.54) in the study cohort. Patients with INR 2.0-2.4 at ECV had more thromboembolic events compared with patients with INR≥2.5 (5/529 (0.9%) vs. 1/895 (0.1%), p=0.03). Comprehensive postprocedural INR data was available for 733 (71.8%) patients and 1007 cardioversions. At least one subtherapeutic (CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the intensity of periprocedural anticoagulation is associated with the risk of thromboembolic events after ECV.</div

Prediction of ineffective elective cardioversion of atrial fibrillation: a retrospective multi-center patient cohort study

Background: Elective cardioversion (ECV) of atrial fibrillation (AF) is a standard procedure to restore sinus rhythm. However, predictors for ineffective ECV (failure of ECV or recurrence of AF within 30 days) are unknown.Methods: We investigated 1998 ECVs performed for AF lasting >48 h in 1,342 patients in a retrospective multi-center study. Follow-up data were collected from 30 days after ECV.Results: Median number of cardioversions was one per patient with a range of 1-10. Altogether 303/1998 (15.2%) ECVs failed. Long (>5 years) AF history and over 30 days duration of the index AF episode were independent predictors for ECV failure and low (60/min) ventricular rate, renal failure and antiarrhythmic agents at discharge were the independent predictors for recurrence. In total ECV was ineffective in 852 (42.6%) cases. Female gender (OR 1.44, CI95% 1.15-1.80, p 60/min (OR 1.92, CI95% 1.08-3.41, p = 0.03), antiarrhythmic medication at discharge (OR 1.48, CI95% 1.14-1.93, p < 0.01) and low (<60/ml/min) estimated glomerular filtration rate (OR 1.59, CI95% 1.08-2.33, p = 0.02) were predictors of ineffective ECV.Conclusions: Female gender, use of antiarrhythmic drug therapy and renal failure predicted both recurrence of AF and the composite end point. For the first time in a large real-life study several clinical predictors for clinically ineffective ECV were identified

Stroke as the First Manifestation of Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation may remain undiagnosed until an ischemic stroke occurs. In this retrospective cohort study we assessed the prevalence of ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack as the first manifestation of atrial fibrillation in 3,623 patients treated for their first ever stroke or transient ischemic attack during 2003-2012. Two groups were formed: patients with a history of atrial fibrillation and patients with new atrial fibrillation diagnosed during hospitalization for stroke or transient ischemic attack. A control group of 781 patients with intracranial hemorrhage was compiled similarly to explore causality between new atrial fibrillation and stroke. The median age of the patients was 78.3 [13.0] years and 2,009 (55.5%) were women. New atrial fibrillation was diagnosed in 753 (20.8%) patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack, compared to 15 (1.9%) with intracranial hemorrhage. Younger age and no history of coronary artery disease or other vascular diseases, heart failure, or hypertension were the independent predictors of new atrial fibrillation detected concomitantly with an ischemic event. Thus, ischemic stroke was the first clinical manifestation of atrial fibrillation in 37% of younger (<75 years) patients with no history of cardiovascular diseases. In conclusion, atrial fibrillation is too often diagnosed only after an ischemic stroke has occurred, especially in middle-aged healthy individuals. New atrial fibrillation seems to be predominantly the cause of the ischemic stroke and not triggered by the acute cerebrovascular event

Association of income and educational levels on initiation of oral anticoagulant therapy in patients with incident atrial fibrillation: A Finnish nationwide cohort study

Aims: Socioeconomic disparities have been reported in the outcomes of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We assessed the hypothesis that AF patients with higher income or educational level are more frequently initiated with oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy for stroke prevention.Methods: The nationwide registry-based Finnish AntiCoagulation in Atrial Fibrillation cohort covers all patients with AF from all levels of care in Finland. Patients were divided into income quartiles according to their highest annual income during 2004-2018 and into three categories based on educational attainment. The outcome was the first redeemed OAC prescription.Results: We identified 239 222 patients (mean age 72.7 ± 13.2 years, 49.8% female) with incident AF during 2007-2018. Higher income was associated with higher OAC initiation rate: compared to the lowest income quartile the adjusted SHRs (95% CI) for OAC initiation were 1.09 (1.07-1.10), 1.13 (1.11-1.14) and 1.13 (1.12-1.15) in the second, third and fourth income quartiles, respectively. Patients in the highest educational category had a slightly lower OAC initiation rate than patients in the lowest educational category (adjusted SHR 0.92 [95% CI 0.90-0.93]). Income-related disparities were larger and education-related disparities only marginal among patients at high risk of ischemic stroke. The socioeconomic disparities in OAC initiation within 1-year follow-up decreased from 2007 to 2018. The adoption of direct OACs as the initial anticoagulant was faster among patients with higher income or educational levels.Conclusion: These findings highlight potential missed opportunities in stroke prevention, especially among AF patients with low income, whereas the education-related disparities in OAC initiation appear controversial.</p

Benefits and risks of using clopidogrel before coronary artery bypass surgery: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials and observational studies

ObjectiveThe benefits and risks associated with the use of clopidogrel before coronary artery bypass grafting are controversial, and these were investigated in the present meta-analysis.MethodsA systematic literature search was performed to identify studies on the use of clopidogrel before coronary artery bypass grafting. Meta-analysis was performed according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews.ResultsThe literature search yielded 3 prospective randomized studies and 17 observational studies with valid data. Randomized studies were post hoc analyses of the Clopidogrel as Adjunctive Reperfusion Therapy (CLARITY), Clopidogrel for the Reduction of Events During Observation (CREDO), and Clopidogrel in Unstable Angina to Prevent Recurrent Ischemic Events trials. Meta-analysis based on these data showed a nonsignificant reduced risk of immediate postoperative composite end point (death, myocardial infarction, or stroke) in the clopidogrel group (risk ratio [RR], 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.58–1.04). Data from the CREDO and CLARITY trials showed a similar risk of death (RR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.20–3.37), myocardial infarction (RR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.25–1.33), and major bleeding according to Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction criteria (RR, 1.48; 95% CI, 0.72–3.04). Meta-analysis of observational studies showed that preoperative exposure to clopidogrel was associated with an increased risk of death (RR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.02–1.67), reoperation for bleeding (RR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.37–2.58), blood loss (mean difference, 157.8 mL; 95% CI, 61.9–253.6), need of packed red blood cell transfusion (RR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.10–1.37), and increased use of blood products. A significantly reduced risk of postoperative myocardial infarction was observed among patients taking clopidogrel (RR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.48–0.82).ConclusionsContrary to the findings of post hoc analyses of randomized trials, observational studies showed that recent exposure to clopidogrel before coronary artery bypass grafting is associated with increased risk of postoperative death, reoperations for bleeding, blood loss, and need of blood transfusions