Cardiac monitoring in stroke units: importance of diagnosing atrial fibrillation in acute ischemic stroke.
In patients with stroke, atrial fibrillation is an independent risk factor and indicates a poor prognosis. Cardiac monitoring is carried out for longer periods in stroke units. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency at which atrial fibrillation is detected in stroke units and the percentage of patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack who receive anticoagulant therapy. The study included 465 patients, who were monitored in a stroke unit for an average of 54.55+/-35.74 h. Atrial fibrillation was detected in 33 (48.5% had paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and 51.5% had persistent atrial fibrillation). The most common risk factor was hypertension. Anticoagulation therapy was started in 57.5%. In conclusion, use of cardiac monitoring in a stroke unit was useful for detecting atrial fibrillation in patients with acute stroke and resulted in treatment modification in more than half the affected patients.
Vivanco Hidalgo
Rosa María
RM
Servicio de Neurología, Unidad de Neurovascular, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain. 96007@imas.imim.es
Rodríguez Campello
Ana
A
Ois Santiago
Angel
A
Cuadrado Godia
Elisa
E
Pont Sunyer
Claustre
C
Roquer
Jaume
J
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*
D000925:Anticoagulants