[Anticoagulation in atrial fibrillation: not yet settled]

Abstract

A great deal of interest has received atrial fibrillation, the most common arrhythmia in adults, due to its complications and difficult treatment its most dreaded complication is atrial thrombi formation with the subsequent risk of embolization. There are several reports defining risk factors for embolic complications and the usefulness of anticoagulants for their prevention. We review the state of the art of anticoagulation in atrial fibrillation not associated to rheumatic valvulopathy. We also give tools to assess embolic risk and to determine the anticoagulant choice for the different presentation forms of atrial fibrillation.