Emergency Management of Atrial Fibrillation

Overview

Journal Postgrad Med J

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2003 Jul 4

PMID 12840118

Citations 8

Authors

A Wakai

J O ONeill

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia managed by emergency and acute general physicians. There is increasing evidence that selected patients with acute atrial fibrillation can be safely managed in the emergency department without the need for hospital admission. Meanwhile, there is significant variation in the current emergency management of acute atrial fibrillation. This review discusses evidence based emergency management of atrial fibrillation. The principles of emergency management of acute atrial fibrillation and the subset of patients who may not need hospital admission are reviewed. Finally, the need for evidence based guidelines before emergency department based clinical pathways for the management of acute atrial fibrillation becomes routine clinical practice is highlighted.

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Vernakalant versus ibutilide for immediate conversion of recent-onset atrial fibrillation.

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