title: [Quality of treatment of atrial fibrillation patients and indicators utilized in monitoring--results of quality assessment at eleven healthcare centers].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several studies indicate a great need for improvement in the care of atrial fibrillation (AF). Failures in antitrombotic treatment can result in stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of consecutive patients with AF was gathered from eleven health centers (1,156 patients).
  
  
  RESULTS
  57.5% of all warfarin-treated patients (N = 1 125) were in good balance of anticoagulation. Of patients who had INR (International Normalized Ratio) for a period of at least 90 days (N = 531), 75.3% were in good balance. Severe symptoms of AF were experienced by 5.0% of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment of AF has to be improved, especially in anticoagulation. Anticoagulation should simply be stopped or new anticoagulants should be used, if intensifying of warfarin treatment is not successful.
authors.forename: Klas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Winell
authors.forename: Ilona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mikkola
authors.forename: Katariina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Korhonen
authors.forename: Hannu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hynninen
authors.forename: Pia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lahtinen
authors.forename: Raija
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tuononen
authors.forename: Britt-Mari
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Bjon
authors.forename: Sakari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ritala
authors.forename: Emil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Heindaho
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hartsenko
mesh_terms: D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019934:International Normalized Ratio; D008297:Male; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D014859:Warfarin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D014859:Warfarin