Tag: atrial fibrillation

In this section, we highlight the key high-impact studies, updates, and analyses published in medicine during the past week. Urinary Sodium and Potassium Excretion, Mortality, and Cardiovascular Events Decreased sodium intake is associated with a modest decrease in blood pressure, but it is unclear whether this translates to a decrease in...

1. Perioperative atrial fibrillation was associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke 1 year after hospitalization.    2. Noncardiac surgery was associated with a greater long-term stroke risk than cardiac surgery.   Evidence Rating Level: 1 (Excellent)  Study Rundown: While chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) is known to increase stroke risk,...

In this section, we highlight the key high-impact studies, updates, and analyses published in medicine during the past week. Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Cryptogenic Stroke Patients experiencing a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) often undergo diagnostic workup involving 24 hour ECG monitoring for atrial fibrillation.  However, it is suspected...

1. In post-embolic “cryptogenic” stroke patients, the use of a 30-day event-triggered cardiac recorder was superior at detecting atrial fibrillation compared to an extra round of a 24-hour Holter monitor.  Evidence Rating Level: 1 (Excellent)        Study Rundown: An estimated 1 in 4 ischemic strokes are labeled “cryptogenic”, whereby...

Image: PD 1. Warfarin therapy in chronic kidney disease patients with atrial fibrillation decreased incidence of death, myocardial infarction and stroke at 1-year follow-up. 2. The severity of kidney disease did not correlate to the rate of these outcomes. Evidence Rating Level: 1 (Excellent)       Study Rundown: Patients presenting with atrial fibrillation (AF) following...

Image: PD 1. Radiofrequency catheter ablation is often used after failure of pharmacologic anti-arrhythmic therapy to treat atrial fibrillation. 2. Recurrent atrial fibrillation was less common in patients treated with radiofrequency catheter ablation compared with pharmacological therapy. Evidence Rating Level: 1 (Excellent) Study Rundown: While pharmacological therapies have proven effective in treating atrial...

Image: PD  In this section, we will highlight the key high-impact studies, updates, and analyses published in medicine during the past week. Rates of Medical Errors and Preventable Adverse Events Among Hospitalized Children Following Implementation of a Resident Handoff Bundle Miscommunication during patient handoffs is a leading cause of medical errors.  In...

Image: PD In this section, we will highlight the key high-impact studies, updates, and analyses published in medicine during the past week. Exdoxaban versus Warfarin in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Factor Xa inhibitors have been shown to be noninferior to warfarin for prevention of venous thromboembolism, and dabigatran has been compared for...

Image: PD 1. The HAS-BLED score is an easy to remember and easy to apply tool that has good predictive accuracy for the risk of major bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation 2. Since its publication, the HAS-BLED score has been validated in a large cohort study of 7,329 patients Original Date...

Image: PD 1. Apixiban is superior to warfarin in preventing stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation 2. Apixaban has a decreased risk of intracranial hemorrhage compared to warfarin 3. There is no difference in GI bleeding risk between apixaban and warfarin. Original date of publication: September 15, 2011 Study Rundown: Warfarin is a vitamin...