Table 2. Reasons for non-use of warfarin in patients with newly-diagnosed atrial fibrillation and high risk of stroke.
| Reason* | Pre-notification period No. (%), N = 60 | Notification period No. (%), N = 91 |
|---|---|---|
| Surgical intervention planned | 13 (22) | 21 (23) |
| Choice to use aspirin | 10 (17) | 17 (19) |
| No documented reason | 3 (5) | 15 (16) |
| Clinical documentation of current warfarin use (i.e., discrepancy between medication record and clinical notes) | 6 (10) | 10 (11) |
| Frequent falls | 8 (13) | 6 (7) |
| Sinus rhythm on subsequent ECG | 8 (13) | 6 (7) |
| Patient in hospice care | 5 (8) | 5 (5) |
| Patient death | 4 (7) | 5 (5) |
| High bleeding risk not otherwise specified | 5 (8) | 3 (3) |
| Use of other anticoagulation (e.g., IV heparin) | 1 (2) | 6 (7) |
| History of gastrointestinal bleeding | 1 (2) | 5 (5) |
| Overall complexity | 1 (2) | 5 (5) |
| Patient refused | 5 (8) | 1 (1) |
| Documented CHADS2<2 (i.e., different calculation by care team) | 2 (3) | 3 (3) |
| History of stroke or intracranial bleed | 0 (0) | 4 (4) |
| Deferred to primary care provider | 2 (3) | 1 (1) |
| Intracranial appliance | 1 (2) | 0 (0) |
* Reasons reflect clinical documentation of rationale according to care team. Numbers sum to >100% because a given patient could have more than one reason for non-use.