The Price of Keeping the Rhythm: Increased Bleeding Risk in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Concurrently Prescribed Amiodarone and Factor Xa Inhibitors

Atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia affecting nearly 2% of the population of the United States.1 Patients with atrial fibrillation are twice as likely to have a myocardial infarction and five-times as likely to have a stroke.1 Current guidelines recommend antiarrhythmic pharmacotherapy in patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation as first-line management.2-4 Amiodarone is a very effective, and therefore, a commonly prescribed agent for this purpose.5 Anticoagulation is a key tenet in the management of atrial fibrillation due to the increased tendency of left atrial appendage clot formation, which, in turn, is a potential source of systemic thromboembolism.
Source: Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia - Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Tags: Editorial Source Type: research