• Carmen del Arco, Alfonso Martín, Pedro Laguna, Pedro Gargantilla, and Investigators in the Spanish Atrial Fibrillation in Emergency Medicine Study Group (GEFAUR).
• Arrhythmia Division, Spanish Society of Emergency Medicine, Madrid, Spain.
• Ann Emerg Med. 2005 Nov 1;46(5):424-30.

Study ObjectiveLimited information relative to the management of atrial fibrillation in the emergency department (ED) daily practice is available. This study evaluates current management of atrial fibrillation in this setting to identify areas for practice improvement.MethodsThis was a prospective multicenter observational study carried out in 12 EDs. Adults in whom atrial fibrillation was demonstrated in an ECG obtained in the ED were included. Clinical variables and atrial fibrillation management in the ED were prospectively collected by the treating physicians using a standardized questionnaire. Patients with rapid ventricular response (>100 beats/min) were considered eligible for rate control, and patients with recent-onset episodes (<48 hours) were eligible for rhythm control.ResultsOf 1,178 patients, 41% presented with a rapid ventricular response and 21% had recent-onset episodes. Rhythm control was attempted in 42% of eligible patients, with antiarrhythmic drugs in 88% of cases (I-C drugs in 44% of patients; amiodarone in 43% of patients). Overall effectiveness of pharmacologic cardioversion was 63% (amiodarone 54.5%, flecainide 93%), whereas electrocardioversion was effective in 87.5% of cases. Rate control was performed in 68.3% of eligible patients (overall effectiveness 47.8%); digoxin was used in 67% of cases (effectiveness 45%). Both strategies were selected in 4.5% of cases, whereas no treatment for atrial fibrillation was performed in 60% of patients.ConclusionIn our ED population, rate-control effectiveness is poor and rhythm control is not attempted in most recent-onset episodes. Methods to improve rate-control effectiveness, the selection of patients for rhythm control, and the use of electrocardioversion appear warranted.

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