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Review
. 2015 Aug;33(3):597-612.
doi: 10.1016/j.emc.2015.04.008. Epub 2015 Jun 10.

Atrial Fibrillation

Eric Goralnick  1 , Laura J Bontempo  2
Affiliations
Review

Atrial Fibrillation

Eric Goralnick et al. Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2015 Aug.

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a supraventricular tachyarrhythmia that results from the chaotic depolarization of atrial tissue. AF is the most common sustained cardiac dysrhythmia and the most common dysrhythmia diagnosed in US emergency departments. All patients with AF must have their cardioembolic risk assessed, even if sinus rhythm is restored. Novel oral anticoagulants may be considered instead of vitamin K antagonists for anticoagulation in patients with nonvalvular AF.

Keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Atrial flutter; Cardioembolic stroke.

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