title: Anticoagulation strategies for the management of postoperative atrial fibrillation.
abstract: Patients undergoing thoracic and cardiac procedures are at the highest risk for postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF). POAF is associated with poor short-term and long-term outcomes, including high rates of early and late stroke, and late mortality. Patients with POAF that persists for longer than 48 hours should be anticoagulated on warfarin. Three new oral anticoagulants are available for the treatment of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and have been found to be as efficacious or superior to warfarin in the prevention of stroke in high-risk patients, with similar to lower rates of major bleeding, and lower rates of intracranial hemorrhage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, 501 North Columbia Road Stop 9037, ND 58103, USA.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, 501 North Columbia Road Stop 9037, ND 58103, USA; Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Sanford Health Fargo, 801 Broadway North, Fargo, ND 58122, USA. Electronic address: Cornelius.Dyke@sanfordhealth.org.
authors.forename: Cornelius
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dyke
authors.affiliation: Duke University School of Medicine, Divisions of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Duke University Hospital, 2301 Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
authors.forename: Jerrold H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Levy
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants
keywords: Anticoagulation; Antiplatelet therapy; Postoperative atrial fibrillation; Rate control; Risk factors