Abstract: . . .  2002;66:261-4,271-2. Copyright 2002 American Academy of Family Physicians.) Atrial fibrillation is the underlying cause of 30,000 to 40,000 embolic strokes per year in the United States. Strokes related to this arrhythmia become more likely with increasing patient age. Acute Management of Atrial Fibrillation : Part II.Prevention of Thromboembolic Complications DANA E. KING, M.D., LORI M. DICKERSON, PHARM.D., and JONATHAN L. SACK, M.D. Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina PRACTICAL THERAPEUTICS  . . .
. . .  Jr, Fuster V, Hart RG, Kay GN, Myer- burg RJ, et al. Management of patients with atrial fibrillation . A statement for healthcare professionals. From the Subcommittee on Electrocardiography and Electrophysiology, American Heart Association. Circulation 1996;93:1262-77. 10. Management of new onset atrial fibrillation . Evid Rep Technol Assess (Summ) 2000;(12):1-7. 11. Patrono C, Coller B, Dalen JE, FitzGerald GA, Fuster V, Gent M, et al. Platelet-active drugs: the relationships among dose, effective- ness, and side effects. Chest 2001:119(1 suppl):S39-63. . . .
. . .  hours and in patients undergoing medical (pharmacologic) or electrical cardioversion. Antithrombotic therapy using warfarin (Coumadin) should be given for 3 weeks before cardioversion and 4 weeks after successful cardioversion. Patients with persistent or recurrent atrial fibrillation after attempted cardioversion should be given chronic warfarin or aspirin therapy for stroke prevention. Warfarin is the preferred agent in patients at high risk for stroke because of previous stroke, age over 75 years, and/or poor left ventricular function. . . .
. . .  2.0 to 3.0) Elective cardioversion in Warfarin for 3 weeks before and patients with atrial 4 weeks after cardioversion to fibrillation for more than achieve target INR of 2.5 (range: 48 hours or an unknown 2.0 to 3.0) duration PTT = partial thromboplastin time; INR = International Normalized Ratio. *Electrical or medical (pharmacologic) cardioversion. Information from references 2, 9, and 10. Page 3 out atrial thrombi) followed by early cardioversion is a clinically . . .
. . .  Atrial fibrillation is the underlying cause of 30,000 to 40,000 embolic strokes per year in the United States. Strokes related to this arrhythmia become more likely with increasing patient age. Acute Management of Atrial Fibrillation : Part II.Prevention of Thromboembolic Complications DANA E. KING, M.D., LORI M. DICKERSON, PHARM.D., and JONATHAN L. SACK, M.D. Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina PRACTICAL THERAPEUTICS O A patient informa- tion handout on atrial . . .
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