| 1. |
- Kalarus, Zbigniew, et al.
(författare)
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Cardiac arrhythmias in the emergency settings of acute coronary syndrome and revascularization : an European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) consensus document, endorsed by the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), and European Acute Cardiovascular Care Association (ACCA)
- 2019
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Ingår i: Europace. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1099-5129 .- 1532-2092. ; 21:10, s. 1603-1604
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite major therapeutic advances over the last decades, complex supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias (VAs), particularly in the emergency setting or during revascularization for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), remain an important clinical problem. Although the incidence of VAs has declined in the hospital phase of acute coronary syndromes (ACS), mainly due to prompt revascularization and optimal medical therapy, still up to 6% patients with ACS develop ventricular tachycardia and/or ventricular fibrillation within the first hours of ACS symptoms. Despite sustained VAs being perceived predictors of worse in-hospital outcomes, specific associations between the type of VAs, arrhythmia timing, applied treatment strategies and long-term prognosis in AMI are vague. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common supraventricular tachyarrhythmia that may be asymptomatic and/or may be associated with rapid haemodynamic deterioration requiring immediate treatment. It is estimated that over 20% AMI patients may have a history of AF, whereas the new-onset arrhythmia may occur in 5% patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction. Importantly, patients who were treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention for AMI and developed AF have higher rates of adverse events and mortality compared with subjects free of arrhythmia. The scope of this position document is to cover the clinical implications and pharmacological/non-pharmacological management of arrhythmias in emergency presentations and during revascularization. Current evidence for clinical relevance of specific types of VAs complicating AMI in relation to arrhythmia timing has been discussed.
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| 2. |
- Schnabel, Renate B., et al.
(författare)
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Searching for Atrial Fibrillation Poststroke : A White Paper of the AF-SCREEN International Collaboration
- 2019
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Ingår i: Circulation. - 1524-4539. ; 140:22, s. 1834-1850
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cardiac thromboembolism attributed to atrial fibrillation (AF) is responsible for up to one-third of ischemic strokes. Stroke may be the first manifestation of previously undetected AF. Given the efficacy of oral anticoagulants in preventing AF-related ischemic strokes, strategies of searching for AF after a stroke using ECG monitoring followed by oral anticoagulation (OAC) treatment have been proposed to prevent recurrent cardioembolic strokes. This white paper by experts from the AF-SCREEN International Collaboration summarizes existing evidence and knowledge gaps on searching for AF after a stroke by using ECG monitoring. New AF can be detected by routine plus intensive ECG monitoring in approximately one-quarter of patients with ischemic stroke. It may be causal, a bystander, or neurogenically induced by the stroke. AF after a stroke is a risk factor for thromboembolism and a strong marker for atrial myopathy. After acute ischemic stroke, patients should undergo 72 hours of electrocardiographic monitoring to detect AF. The diagnosis requires an ECG of sufficient quality for confirmation by a health professional with ECG rhythm expertise. AF detection rate is a function of monitoring duration and quality of analysis, AF episode definition, interval from stroke to monitoring commencement, and patient characteristics including old age, certain ECG alterations, and stroke type. Markers of atrial myopathy (eg, imaging, atrial ectopy, natriuretic peptides) may increase AF yield from monitoring and could be used to guide patient selection for more intensive/prolonged poststroke ECG monitoring. Atrial myopathy without detected AF is not currently sufficient to initiate OAC. The concept of embolic stroke of unknown source is not proven to identify patients who have had a stroke benefitting from empiric OAC treatment. However, some embolic stroke of unknown source subgroups (eg, advanced age, atrial enlargement) might benefit more from non-vitamin K-dependent OAC therapy than aspirin. Fulfilling embolic stroke of unknown source criteria is an indication neither for empiric non-vitamin K-dependent OAC treatment nor for withholding prolonged ECG monitoring for AF. Clinically diagnosed AF after a stroke or a transient ischemic attack is associated with significantly increased risk of recurrent stroke or systemic embolism, in particular, with additional stroke risk factors, and requires OAC rather than antiplatelet therapy. The minimum subclinical AF duration required on ECG monitoring poststroke/transient ischemic attack to recommend OAC therapy is debated.
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| 3. |
- Bongiorni, Maria Grazia, et al.
(författare)
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How European centres diagnose, treat, and prevent CIED infections : Results of an European Heart Rhythm Association survey
- 2012
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Ingår i: Europace. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1099-5129 .- 1532-2092. ; 14:11, s. 1666-1669
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of our survey is to analyse the clinical approach used to prevent and treat cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) infections in Europe. The survey involves high-volume implanting centres. According to the survey the incidence of CIED infections shows a slight decrease in most centres and is substantially under 2% in the majority of centres interviewed. However, there are still differences in terms of prophylactic antibiotic therapy: 8.9% of the centres administer oxacillin as preoperative treatment, 4.4% of them do not give any antibiotic therapy, all centres use some kind of skin antisepsis, but only 42.2% use chlorhexidine. In case of local infection, 43.5% of centres perform lead extraction as first approach. In the case of systemic infection or evidence of lead or valvular endocarditis, 95% of centres treat these conditions by extracting the leads, which indicates that the adherence to the lead extraction guidelines is quite good.
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| 4. |
- Dobreanu, Dan, et al.
(författare)
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Current practice for diagnosis and management of silent atrial fibrillation : results of the European Heart Rhythm Association survey
- 2013
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Ingår i: Europace. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1099-5129 .- 1532-2092. ; 15:8, s. 1223-1225
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Although it is well known that silent atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with morbidity and mortality rates similar to those of symptomatic AF, no specific strategy for screening and management of this form of AF has been advocated. The purpose of this survey was to identify current practices for the diagnosis and management of silent AF. This survey is based on an electronic questionnaire sent to the European Heart Rhythm Association Research Network partners. Responses were received from 33 centres in 16 countries. The preferred screening methods for silent AF in patients with rhythm control by pharmacological therapy was 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) at outpatient visits (31.3%) and periodical 24 h Holter ECG recordings (34.4%), while after pulmonary vein isolation the corresponding figures were 6.3 and 65.6%, respectively. No consensus has been reached concerning the therapeutic approach for such patients. Most responders preferred rate control over rhythm control in patients with silent AF, although some favoured pulmonary vein isolation in young patients. However, oral anticoagulant therapy in patients at high thromboembolic risk was considered mandatory by most, provided that at least one episode of silent AF was documented, without recommending further investigations. The results of this survey have confirmed that there is currently no consensus regarding the screening and management of patients with silent AF and that clinical practice is not always consistent with the few existing evidence-based recommendations.
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| 5. |
- Hernández-Madrid, Antonio, et al.
(författare)
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Cardioversion for atrial fibrillation in current European practice : results of the European Heart Rhythm Association survey
- 2013
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Ingår i: Europace. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1099-5129 .- 1532-2092. ; 15:6, s. 915-918
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This survey was conducted to provide an insight into the current clinical practice regarding the use of cardioversion for atrial fibrillation (AF) in Europe. Responses were received from 57 centres across Europe, 71.9% of which were university hospitals. For electrical cardioversion, general anaesthesia was managed by an anaesthesiologist in 73.9% of centres and by a cardiologist in 37%. In the majority of centres, electrical cardioversion was performed using a biphasic defibrillator (85.1%). Antiarrhythmic drugs were routinely prescribed prior to electrical cardioversion by 54.3% of hospitals. For pharmacological cardioversion in patients with no or minimal heart disease, the majority of centres (63.1%) chose intravenous flecainide or propafenone, whereas vernakalant was used by 35% of centres in patients with no or minimal-to-moderate structural heart disease. Most centres (71.7%) used a mandatory strategy of 3 weeks of oral anticoagulation prior to elective cardioversion in patients AF > 48 h, but 28.3% performed immediate cardioversion after a transoesophageal echocardiogram. Many centres are now performing electrical cardioversion on treatment with novel oral anticoagulants (up to 23.6% of cardioversions).
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| 6. |
- Lip, Gregory Y. H., et al.
(författare)
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Left atrial appendage occlusion for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation in Europe : results of the European Heart Rhythm Association survey
- 2013
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Ingår i: Europace. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1099-5129 .- 1532-2092. ; 15:1, s. 141-143
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of this EP wire survey was to assess clinical practice in relation to the use of left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) devices for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF) among members of the European Heart Rhythm Association research network. The average number of performed LAAO was 10.6 per year and most (73) centres performed 10 procedures per year. We found that LAAO was being performed for stroke prevention in AF, for the most common indication being othe patient has absolute contraindication to long term oral anticoagulants'. Among survey respondents, LAAO procedures are most often performed by interventional cardiologists. Experience varied widely, and this was reflected in the wide range of thromboembolic and procedural (tamponade, bleeding) complications reported by the respondents to this EP wire survey.
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| 7. |
- Lip, Gregory Y. H., et al.
(författare)
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Novel oral anticoagulants for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation : results of the European Heart Rhythm Association survey
- 2013
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Ingår i: Europace. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1099-5129 .- 1532-2092. ; 15:10, s. 1526-1532
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of this European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) survey was to assess clinical practice in relation to stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF), particularly into the use of novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) for stroke prevention, among members of the EHRA electrophysiology (EP) research network. In this EP Wire survey, we have provided some insights into current practice in Europe for the use of NOACs for stroke prevention in AF. There were clear practice differences evident, and also the need for greater adherence to the guidelines, especially since guideline adherent management results in better outcomes in AF.
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| 8. |
- Proclemer, Alessandro, et al.
(författare)
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Current practice in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest management : a european heart rhythm association EP network survey
- 2012
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Ingår i: Europace. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1099-5129 .- 1532-2092. ; 14:8, s. 1195-1198
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of this EP wire is to examine clinical practice in the field of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) management, with special focus on in-hospital diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Fifty-three European centres, all members of the EHRA-EP Research network, completed the questions of the survey. A dedicated strategy for OHCA management is active in 85 of the centres. Shockable tachyarrhythmias such as initial OHCA rhythm are reported in 70 of the patients in 64 of the centres. In-hospital therapeutic hypothermia was applied in 50 of the patients in 53 of the centres and in 50 in 47 of the centres. In the year 2011 90 of the centres performed 10 primary percutaneous coronary angioplasties (PCI) in OHCA patients. The survival rate, when the initial documented rhythm was shockable, was 30 in 42 of the centres, and conversely, was significantly lower when asystole or pulseless electrical activity was the initial rhythm. A favourable neurological recovery was reported in 50 of the patients in 13 (26) centres and in 2150 of the patients in 21 (44). This EP wire survey demonstrates a favourable implementation in OHCA of an invasive management strategy, including coronary angiography/PCI and implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy, while therapeutic hypothermia appears to be underused.
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| 9. |
- Schnabel, Renate B, et al.
(författare)
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Early diagnosis and better rhythm management to improve outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation : the 8th AFNET/EHRA consensus conference
- 2023
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Ingår i: Europace. - : Oxford University Press. - 1099-5129 .- 1532-2092. ; 25:1, s. 6-27
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite marked progress in the management of atrial fibrillation (AF), detecting AF remains difficult and AF-related complications cause unacceptable morbidity and mortality even on optimal current therapy. This document summarizes the key outcomes of the 8th AFNET/EHRA Consensus Conference of the Atrial Fibrillation NETwork (AFNET) and the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA). Eighty-three international experts met in Hamburg for 2 days in October 2021. Results of the interdisciplinary, hybrid discussions in breakout groups and the plenary based on recently published and unpublished observations are summarized in this consensus paper to support improved care for patients with AF by guiding prevention, individualized management, and research strategies. The main outcomes are (i) new evidence supports a simple, scalable, and pragmatic population-based AF screening pathway; (ii) rhythm management is evolving from therapy aimed at improving symptoms to an integrated domain in the prevention of AF-related outcomes, especially in patients with recently diagnosed AF; (iii) improved characterization of atrial cardiomyopathy may help to identify patients in need for therapy; (iv) standardized assessment of cognitive function in patients with AF could lead to improvement in patient outcomes; and (v) artificial intelligence (AI) can support all of the above aims, but requires advanced interdisciplinary knowledge and collaboration as well as a better medico-legal framework. Implementation of new evidence-based approaches to AF screening and rhythm management can improve outcomes in patients with AF. Additional benefits are possible with further efforts to identify and target atrial cardiomyopathy and cognitive impairment, which can be facilitated by AI.
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