Case 4–2015

ATRIAL FIBRILLATION (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia in the world and is estimated to affect more than 3 million people in the United States, with a projected increase to more than 5 million people in the US by the year 2050.1 AF is an independent risk factor for stroke and is associated with a four- to five-fold increased risk of embolic stroke compared with those individuals without AF. Oral anticoagulation therapy with warfarin or other agents (dabigatran, apixaban) significantly reduces the risk of stroke in this population; however, anticoagulation carries inherent risks.

Source: Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia - March 18, 2015 Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Megan J. Lanigan, Mark A. Chaney, Sandeep Nathan, Atman P. Shah, Andrew J. Feider Tags: Case Conference Source Type: research