Emergency Atrial Fibrillation Registry of the Catalan Institute of Health (URGFAICS): analysis by type of atrial fibrillation and revisits within 30 days

Objectives.

To study the characteristics of patients attending a hospital emergency department (ED) with de novo or previously diagnosed atrial fibrillation (AF), and to determine the rate of revisits for AF within 30 days of discharge.

Methods.

Prospective multicenter, observational cohort study of patients aged 18 years or older who came to 5 Catalan EDs with symptoms of AF or who were found to have AF on examination. We recorded demographic information and data related to the acute episode and ED management on the first or other visits within 30 days.

Results.

We had complete follow-up data for 1052 of the 1199 patients initially registered. The mean (SD) age was 73 (13) years, and 646 (53.9%) were women. AF had already been diagnosed in 652 (54.4%). Patients with diagnosed AF were older, had more concomitant conditions, and were more likely to be taking antiarrhythmic and/or anticoagulant drugs. Pharmacologic management in the ED was similar. The 30-day revisiting rate was 7.9% , and revisits were more frequent when digoxin was used in the ED and/or calcium channel blockers were prescribed on discharge.

Conclusions.

We detected differences between ED patients with de novo FA and previously diagnosed FA, but management of the 2 groups was similar. The 30-day revisiting rate was associated with use of digoxin in the ED and the prescription of calcium channel blockers on discharge.