Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common morbidity, which is increasing in prevalence.1 AF predisposes patients to stroke while anticoagulation therapy reduces the stroke risk in this population. The proportion of patients with AF receiving oral anticoagulation is one of the pan-Canadian quality indicators set by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.2 Our review of local ED practice identified that only 17% of patients with AF eligible for anticoagulation were being prescribed an anticoagulant.3 We implemented a simple ED pathway for initiating anticoagulation in patients with AF in four EDs. The pathway was available for emergency patients who had a diagnosis of AF or atrial flutter (new-onset or previously known) being discharged home. We determined the proportion of patients who were appropriately anticoagulated and 90-day clinical outcomes. Rapid specialist follow-up, reliable communication with the family doctor and ease of patient education increase ED doctor comfort in prescribing anticoagulation for AF.4 Using these principles, a multidisciplinary, multisite working group developed a one-page pathway to guide assessment …

中文翻译：

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在急诊科安全地开始房颤抗凝治疗


心房颤动 (AF) 是一种常见疾病，且患病率不断增加。1 AF 使患者容易发生中风，而抗凝治疗可降低该人群的中风风险。接受口服抗凝治疗的房颤患者比例是加拿大心血管学会制定的泛加拿大质量指标之一。2我们对当地急诊实践的审查发现，只有 17% 符合抗凝治疗条件的房颤患者正在服用抗凝药物。 3 我们在 4 个急诊室实施了一个简单的 ED 途径来启动 AF 患者的抗凝治疗。该途径适用于被诊断为 AF 或心房扑动（新发或既往已知）且出院回家的急诊患者。我们确定了接受适当抗凝治疗的患者比例以及 90 天的临床结果。快速的专家随访、与家庭医生的可靠沟通以及方便的患者教育提高了急诊医生在为 AF 开抗凝药物时的舒适度。4 根据这些原则，一个多学科、多地点工作组开发了一页的途径来指导评估……