Emergency room treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response

Abstract

Introduction: atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most prevalent cardiac arrhythmia worldwide, and its incidence is expected to double over the next two decades, leading to a significant increase in its associated morbidity and mortality rates. In this context, the emergency room is in a crucial position to provide effective treatment to positively impact these patients’ survival and reduce the complications that ensue if AF is not addressed promptly.

Objective: to characterize the population of patients with AF with rapid ventricular response (RVR) seen in an emergency room in Armenia, Quindío, from 2021-2022.

Materials and method: this was a retrospective study at a healthcare facility in the city of Armenia. Patients over the age of 18 who presented to the ER for various reasons and had AF with RVR on their admission electrocardiogram were included. A total of 644 medical charts were collected, 523 of which were excluded because they did not meet the inclusion criteria, with 121 patients ultimately analyzed.

Results: among the included patients, 56% (n=68) were males, and 85% were 60 years old or older, thus reflecting the high prevalence of AF in elderly people. The predominant treatment was pharmacological therapy, which was instated in 92.6% of the cases, with an 82% success rate. In addition, a small percentage (7.4%) required electrical cardioversion, which was successful in 66.6% of the cases.

Conclusions: it is essential to promptly diagnose and treat patients with AF in the emergency room, especially in a population where most were diagnosed with AF for the first time.