title: The Value of the Score for the Targeting of Atrial Fibrillation (STAF) Screening in Acute Stroke Patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recently, the score for the targeting of atrial fibrillation (STAF) was introduced to identify the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) in stroke patients. In this study, we aim to evaluate the usefulness of the STAF score for AF screening in acute stroke patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with acute ischemic stroke who were admitted to our stroke unit were prospectively enrolled from March 2011 to March 2013. Baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), left atrial dilatation, and vascular etiology were assessed to calculate the STAF score. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between AF and STAF factors. Univariate analysis of AF and age, history of coronary heart disease and rheumatic heart disease, NIHSS, left atrial dilatation, and vascular etiology was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 472 patients were enrolled in our analysis. AF was documented in 78 (16.53%) patients, of which 50% were paroxysmal. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that age, NIHSS, left atrial dilatation, and the absence of vascular etiology can each function as independent predictors for AF. In addition, all AF patients with a STAF ≥5 show a sensitivity of 76.92% and a specificity of 78.68%. The area under the receiver operating characteristic for all AF patients was .842 versus .763 for the paroxysmal AF (pAF) patients. In addition, a sensitivity of 81% (95% CI 73-92) and a ROC of .829 were for new-AF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The value of the STAF system for predicting the risk of pAF and new-AF in stroke patients is relatively limited.
authors.affiliation: Stroke Center & Neurology Department, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510630, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Stroke Center & Neurology Department, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510630, China.
authors.forename: Yong-Xin
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Stroke Center & Neurology Department, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510630, China.
authors.forename: Yao-Gao
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Stroke Center & Neurology Department, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510630, China.
authors.forename: Ye-Yan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Stroke Center & Neurology Department, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510630, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Sheng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Mercy Health Hauenstein Neuroscience Center, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Electronic address: jiangyong.min@mercyhealth.com.
authors.forename: Jiang-Yong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Min
authors.affiliation: Stroke Center & Neurology Department, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510630, China. Electronic address: tlil@jnu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: An-Ding
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019540:Area Under Curve; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012372:ROC Curve; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis
keywords: Atrial fibrillation; STAF; ischemic stroke; paroxysmal atrial fibrillation