title: [The management of atrial fibrillation and characteristics of its current care in outpatients. AFABE observational study].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide insights into the characteristics and management of outpatients when their atrial fibrillation (AF) was first detected: diagnosis, treatment and follow-up in the context of the public health system.
  
  
  METHODS
  AFABE is an observational, multicentre descriptive study with retrospective data collection relating to the practice patterns, management and initial strategies of treatment of patients with diagnosed AF in the context of primary care, emergency and cardiologists of the public health system.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary and Specialist care. Baix Ebre region. Tarragona. Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  A representative sample of 182 subjects > 60-year-old with AF who have been randomized, recruited among the registered patients with AF in 22 primary care centres in the area of the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Demographic data, comorbidities (AF), CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS_BLED scores, and practice patterns results between Primary Care and referral services.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 182 patients were included (mean age 78.5 SD:7.3 years; 50% women). Most patients (68.3% 95%CI; 60.3-76.3) had the first contact in Primary Care, of which 56.3% (95%CI; 45.2-66.0) were sent to Hospital Emergency Department where 72.7% (95%CI: 63.5-79.0) of the oral anticoagulation and 58.4% (95%CI: 49.4-66.9) of antiarrhytmic treatments were started. More than half (55.9%:95%CI; 47.2-64.7, of patients with permanent AF were followed-up by the Cardiology department.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most patients with newly diagnosed AF made a first contact with Primary Care, but around half were sent to Hospital Emergency departments, where they were treated with an antiarrhythmic and/or oral anticoagulation.
authors.affiliation: Antares Consulting HEOR, España.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giménez-García
authors.affiliation: Atención Primaria/Hospitalaria, Institut Català de la Salut, Gerència Territorial Terres de l'Ebre, Tortosa, España.
authors.forename: Josep Lluís
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Clua-Espuny
authors.affiliation: Atención Primaria/Hospitalaria, Institut Català de la Salut, Gerència Territorial Terres de l'Ebre, Tortosa, España.
authors.forename: Ramón
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bosch-Príncep
authors.affiliation: USR Terres de l'Ebre, IDIAP/IISPV/UAB/URV, Tortosa, España. Electronic address: clpclp3@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: López-Pablo
authors.affiliation: Atención Primaria/Hospitalaria, Institut Català de la Salut, Gerència Territorial Terres de l'Ebre, Tortosa, España.
authors.forename: Iñigo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lechuga-Durán
authors.affiliation: Pla Director de la Malaltia Vascular Cerebral de Catalunya, Departament de Salut Catalunya, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Miquel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gallofré-López
authors.affiliation: Atención Primaria/Hospitalaria, Institut Català de la Salut, Gerència Territorial Terres de l'Ebre, Tortosa, España.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Panisello-Tafalla
authors.affiliation: Atención Primaria/Hospitalaria, Institut Català de la Salut, Gerència Territorial Terres de l'Ebre, Tortosa, España.
authors.forename: Jorgina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lucas-Noll
authors.affiliation: Atención Primaria/Hospitalaria, Institut Català de la Salut, Gerència Territorial Terres de l'Ebre, Tortosa, España.
authors.forename: Maria Lluisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Queralt-Tomas
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D019091:Critical Pathways; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010045:Outpatients; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Atención especializada; Atención primaria; Atrial fibrillation; Estudio observacional; Fibrilación auricular; Observational study; Outpatients; Pacientes ambulatorios; Primary care; Specialized care; Tratamiento; Treatment
references.citation: Int J Clin Pract. 2012 Jan;66(1):44-52
references.pmid: 22171904
references.citation: Aten Primaria. 2005 Sep 15;36(4):198-203
references.pmid: 16153373
references.citation: J Emerg Med. 2012 Feb;42(2):139-48
references.pmid: 20634022
references.citation: Chest. 2010 Nov;138(5):1093-100
references.pmid: 20299623
references.citation: Am J Med. 2011 Feb;124(2):111-4
references.pmid: 20887966
references.citation: J R Coll Physicians Edinb. 2012;42 Suppl 18:45-54
references.pmid: 22518393
references.citation: Aten Primaria. 2001 Dec;28(10):648-51
references.pmid: 11784483
references.citation: Aten Primaria. 2007 Jan;39(1):49
references.pmid: 17286926
references.citation: Rev Esp Cardiol (Engl Ed). 2012 Jul;65(7):627-33
references.pmid: 22609214
references.citation: Rev Esp Cardiol. 2010 Aug;63(8):943-50
references.pmid: 20738939
references.citation: Chest. 2010 Feb;137(2):263-72
references.pmid: 19762550
references.citation: J Intern Med. 2012 Jan;271(1):15-24
references.pmid: 21995885
references.citation: Aten Primaria. 2002 Sep 30;30(5):284-9
references.pmid: 12372209
references.citation: Am J Cardiol. 2010 Apr 15;105(8):1122-9
references.pmid: 20381664
references.citation: Lancet. 2012 Feb 18;379(9816):648-61
references.pmid: 22166900
references.citation: Europace. 2011 Jan;13(1):23-30
references.pmid: 20823043
references.citation: Rev Esp Cardiol. 2009 Jan;62(1):10-4
references.pmid: 19150009
references.citation: Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2012 Jan;5(1):85-93
references.pmid: 22235070
references.citation: Can J Cardiol. 2011 Jan-Feb;27(1):74-90
references.pmid: 21329865
references.citation: Am J Med. 2006 Jul;119(7):607-15
references.pmid: 16828633
references.citation: Europace. 2010 Oct;12(10):1360-420
references.pmid: 20876603
references.citation: Chest. 2012 Feb;141(2 Suppl):e531S-e575S
references.pmid: 22315271
references.citation: Aten Primaria. 2004 Mar 15;33(4):188-92
references.pmid: 15023321
references.citation: Arch Cardiovasc Dis. 2010 Jun-Jul;103(6-7):376-87
references.pmid: 20800801
references.citation: Rev Esp Cardiol (Engl Ed). 2012 Jan;65(1):47-53
references.pmid: 22054913
references.citation: Europace. 2010 Apr;12(4):451-2
references.pmid: 20338986
references.citation: Aten Primaria. 2004 Nov 15;34(8):414-9
references.pmid: 15546539
references.citation: Am Heart J. 1996 Apr;131(4):790-5
references.pmid: 8721656
references.citation: Age Ageing. 2010 Sep;39(5):533-5
references.pmid: 20507847
references.citation: Chest. 2013 Jan;143(1):179-184
references.pmid: 22722228