Guías de práctica clínica de la Sociedad Española de Cardiología en arritmias cardíacas

Taquicardias supraventriculares. Estado del arte

<p>Las taquicardias supraventriculares son un grupo de entidades clínicas prevalentes en la población general, pero que afectan con mayor frecuencia a la población adulta; son ritmos rápidos y generalmente regulares en los cuales se encuentra implicada alguna estructura por encima de la bifurcación del haz de His para formación o perpetuación. El diagnóstico de estas entidades requiere un abordaje clínico sistemático, siendo el electrocardiograma de superficie la principal herramienta para su adecuada clasificación. El tratamiento de las taquicardias supraventriculares dependerá del estado hemodinámico del paciente, el cual definirá el requerimiento de terapia eléctrica o tratamiento médico. Se debe hacer una selección adecuada de los pacientes que requieren estudio electrofisiológico y ablación.</p>

Tratamiento de la fibrilación auricular en los distintos niveles asistenciales de un área sanitaria

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Atrial fibrillation is managed in multiple settings by different specialists. We sought to analyze treatment and compliance of the prevailing guidelines of patients with atrial fibrillation attended at different levels of health care and to quantify interventions to correct treatment inadequacies.

PATIENTS AND METHOD

We included all adult patients with atrial fibrillation who presented during a 14 day-period to different levels of health care of a tertiary hospital and a related primary care clinic (family physician, cardiologist, emergency department, hospitalization). In all of them, clinical and epidemiological data in relation to atrial fibrillation, and all data referring to treatment and compliance of guidelines, were recorded prospectively.

RESULTS

293 patients were included. Clinical and epidemiological data were similar in the different settings. A great diversity in atrial fibrillation treatment was observed. In 30 and 33% of the patients, antiarrhythmic and antithrombotic treatment, respectively, did not meet the recommendations of the prevailing guidelines. The adequacy was inferior in primary care. The adequacy percentages increased slightly after the medical attention (2 and 3% respectively, p non significant) with no differences in this increase between the different settings.

CONCLUSIONS

There are no epidemiological differences between patients with atrial fibrillation treated at different levels of health care. An important number of patients do not follow the recommendations of the prevailing guidelines. There is a clear medical abstention in incorrectly treated cases.

Anticoagulación oral en la fibrilación auricular no valvular: ¿son efectivas y seguras las recomendaciones científicas en la práctica clínica diaria?

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

To study the efficacy and safety of an oral anticoagulation protocol for the treatment of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, based on scientific associations' recommendations, in unselected patients seen in daily clinical practice.

METHODS

The study included all consecutive patients with permanent nonvalvular atrial fibrillation who attended two outpatient cardiology clinics between February 1, 2000 and February 1, 2002. They were treated according to an anticoagulation protocol based on Spanish Society of Cardiology and American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/European Society of Cardiology guidelines. Patients were followed up prospectively for major events, such as death, stroke, transient ischemic attack, peripheral embolism and severe hemorrhage, which were recorded by treatment group.

RESULTS

A total of 624 patients were included in the study. Those receiving anticoagulation therapy (n=425; 68%) more frequently had hypertension, diabetes and previous embolism as well as a greater number of cardioembolic risk factors (P< .001). Overall, 93% of non-anticoagulated patients received platelet aggregation inhibitors (92% received aspirin). After a median follow-up of 21 months, the probability of an embolic event was lower in anticoagulated patients (0.81% vs 14.04%; P< .001), as was all-cause mortality (3.27% vs 6.42%; P=.003). However, there was no significant difference in the probability of severe bleeding (2.75% vs 2.93%; P=.96). Results were unchanged after adjustment for age, sex, and previous embolic events.

CONCLUSIONS

Oral anticoagulation therapy for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation implemented according to scientific associations' recommendations is effective and safe in daily clinical practice.

Prevención de la enfermedad tromboembólica en pacientes con fibrilación auricular crónica en atención primaria

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Our goal was to evaluate the appropriateness of antithrombotic treatment administration in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation (CAF) attended in a health primary center.

PATIENTS AND METHOD

Transverse and descriptive study; 416 patients diagnosed with CAF were included out of a population of 28,447. Age, sex, embolism risk factors, antithrombotic therapy, contraindications to anticoagulation and stratification risk variables were collected. After a bivariate analysis, a logistic regression model was done to analyze the variable associated with an incorrect antithrombotic therapy.

RESULTS

81% patients were given a correct antithrombotic therapy: 96.8% with a valvular-CAF pattern and 78.2% with a non-valvular CAF pattern. Older the patient, higher the percentage of incorrect antithrombotic administration (t = 3.184; p = 0.002). A greater embolic risk was associated with a better antithrombotic treatment (p < 0.001). The existence of at least one risk factor was also associated with a correct administration (p < 0.001). Hypertension, mitral valvular heart disease and valvular prosthesis were factors associated with a correct antithrombotic therapy. In a multivariate analysis, limited quality of life, mitral valvular heart disease, hypertension and previous systemic embolism behaved all as protective factors of a wrong treatment. An age older than 80 years was associated with a risk of treatment which was 2.89 times higher than that of individuals with the same age or youngers (OR = 2.89; 95% CI, 1.68-4.95).

CONCLUSIONS

Most patients with CAF, both valvular and non-valvular, were properly given antithrombotic therapy. The main factor associated with an incorrect antithrombotic therapy was advanced age.

[Consensus document for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation in hospital emergency departments]

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most prevalent arrhythmia in hospital emergency departments and is a serious disease associated with a twofold increase in morbidity and a high mortality rate. However, the management of AF in this scenario is variable and frequently inadequate. This is probably a consequence of the diverse clinical aspects and therapeutic options to consider in the management of patients with AF. Therefore, implementation of specific, coordinated management strategies by the different care providers involved is needed to improve the quality of care and optimize the use of human and material resources. This document presents the guidelines recommended by the Spanish Society of Cardiology (SEC) and the Spanish Society of Emergency Medicine (SEMES) for the management of AF in hospital emergency departments. These guidelines are based on published scientific evidence and are applicable to most emergency departments in Spain. Specific management strategies are proposed for the conversion and maintenance of sinus rhythm, heart rate control during AF, prophylaxis for thrombi and emboli, and hospital admission and discharge protocols.

Uso de anticoagulación al alta hospitalaria en pacientes con insuficiencia cardíaca y fibrilación auricular

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

To assess the degree of compliance with current guidelines for chronic anticoagulation in patients with heart failure and atrial fibrillation.

PATIENTS AND METHOD

From the INCARGAL Study database, we analyzed data from 195 consecutive patients (88 men; mean age 76 10 years) with both conditions, admitted to three Galician hospitals between January and March 1999. It was assumed that these patients should have received anticoagulant therapy at discharge, unless contraindicated. We studied the association of treatment at discharge (anticoagulation or not) with the presence or absence of contraindications.

RESULTS

152 patients (78%) had no contraindication for anticoagulation and 43 had at least one (absolute: 11, relative: 32). Only 50% of patients without contraindications received anticoagulation at the time of discharge. No patient with an absolute contraindication and 3 with a relative one received anticoagulation. Factors related with the less frequent prescription of anticoagulation therapy in patients without a formal contraindication were: age, a previous history of coronary heart disease, absence of valvular heart disease, prior myocardial infarction, treatment with beta-blocking agents, non performance of an echocardiogram, and admission to a department other than cardiology. On multivariate analysis, age, prior myocardial infarction, and non-valvular disease were found to be independent predictors of less use of anticoagulation.

CONCLUSIONS

Anticoagulant therapy is used less often than recommended at discharge in patients with heart failure and atrial fibrillation for whom there were no contraindications. Advanced age reduces its use. The presence of other indications for antiplatelet or anticoagulation therapy appears to determine the choice of one or the other. Noncompliance with the guidelines due to overprescription was not found.

Un protocolo prospectivo permite incrementar la utilización de anticoagulación oral en pacientes con fibrilación auricular crónica no valvular

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

Observational studies have shown that oral anticoagulants (OAC) prescription is suboptimal in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Our objective was to evaluate the usefulness of a prospective protocol for increasing OAC usage in these patients.

PATIENTS AND METHOD

From 1 February 2000 until 31 October 2002 we enrolled all patients with chronic NVAF seen in two outpatient cardiology clinics, excluding candidates for cardioversion. Each patient was studied to identify cardioembolic risk factors (CERF) and contraindications for OAC. Anticoagulation was suggested to all patients with > or =2 CERF and without contraindications for OAC. The decision to prescribe OAC was made by the physician in charge when there was only one CERF.

RESULTS

721 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Mean age was 73 +/- 8 years; 44% were men. In most cases NVAF was related with hypertension (57%), followed by no structural heart disease (25%) or ischemic heart disease (9%). The most frequent CERFs were hypertension (66%), age > or =75 years (45%) and diabetes (24%). A total of 663 patients had > or =1 CERF (92%), and 125 (19%) of these presented at least one contraindication for OAC. Of the 538 remaining patients (90%), 485 (67% of the whole series) were treated with anticoagulation. Of the patients with > or =2 CERF and without contraindications for OAC, 95% were treated.

CONCLUSIONS

A prospective protocol for use in the outpatient cardiology clinic allows to prescribe OAC in a large percentage of patients with NVAF.

[Spanish registry on catheter ablation. 1st official report of the working group on electrophysiology and arrhythmias of the Spanish Society of Cardiology (year 2001)]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The information about the practice and results of catheter ablation of cardiac arrhythmias in Europe is limited and there is a lack of multicenter studies and registries. The Spanish Society of Cardiology developed a national registry to define the results of this procedure and the characteristics of the laboratories where it is performed.

METHODS

A list of electrophysiology laboratories in Spain was prepared and questionnaires were sent to each of them. The questionnaires were completed with retrospective data about the characteristics of each center, their general activities, and ablation procedures performed during 2001. Data were collected on the results and complications in relation to the arrhythmic substrate or mechanism treated.

RESULTS

Forty-three centers, out of a possible 48, voluntarily participated in the registry. A total of 4,374 ablation procedures were performed in 41 centers. The average number of procedures per center was 106 84 and the rates of success, major complications, and mortality were, respectively, 93%, 1.5%, and 0.1%. About 70% of the procedures were performed to treat patients with AV nodal reentrant tachycardias and accessory pathways or to abolish AV conduction.

CONCLUSIONS

The 2001 Spanish National Catheter Ablation Registry is one of the largest reported series of ablation procedures. The results of the registry demonstrate a high success rate and low complication and mortality rates in the practice of catheter ablation in Western Europe.

[The efficacy of scheduled cardioversion in atrial fibrillation. Comparison of two schemes of treatment: electrical versus pharmacological cardioversion]

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

Atrial fibrillation is an arrhythmia with high morbidity and mortality. Restoring sinus rhythm is one of the principle objectives in its management. The present study aimed to assess the efficacy of scheduled cardioversion on atrial fibrillation by comparing two different therapeutic approaches: electrical vs. pharmacological cardioversion.

PATIENTS AND METHOD

Two hundred thirty patients with atrial fibrillation of more than 48 hours duration and requiring sinus rhythm restoration were included. One hundred forty-four patients underwent external electrical cardioversion and 86 patients received quinidine. We analyzed the rate of success, duration of hospital stay, complications and clinical and echocardiographic variable that might predict success.

RESULTS

Sinus rhythm was restored in 181 of 230 patients (79%). The rate of success was 77% (111/144 patients) in the electrical group and 81% (70 of 86 patients) in the pharmacological group (ns). In 13 pharmacological group patients for whom the first attempt failed attempt, a second attempt with electrical cardioversion was made and was successful in 8 patients (61%). No embolic complication was recorded and only two electrical disturbances were seen. Only atrial fibrillation lasting less than 8 weeks was associated with a higher success rate (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Scheduled cardioversion in atrial fibrillation is an effective technique with a high success rate and a very low rate of complication. Electrical cardioversion and pharmacological cardioversion with quinidine are similarly effective, although the latter involves a longer hospital stay.