Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics of Patients Seen Before (Preintervention) or After (Intervention) Initiation of an EDOU Protocol for Managing Atrial Fibrillation
| Characteristic | Preintervention (n=627) | Intervention (n=563) | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, median (IQR), y | 70 (60–79) | 69 (61–79) | 0.81 |
| Initial vital signs, median (IQR) | |||
| Temperature, °C | 36.7 (36.5–36.8) | 36.7 (36.5–36.8) | 0.81 |
| Pulse rate, beats/min | 120 (96–138) | 120 (94–137) | 0.41 |
| Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 131 (116–150) | 134 (118–152) | 0.29 |
| Body mass index, median (IQR), kg/m2 | 29.0 (25.0–34.0) | 28.9 (25.0–34.8) | 0.48 |
| CHADS2 score, median (IQR) | 2 (1–2) | 2 (1–3) | 0.30 |
| Male sex, n (%) | 349 (56) | 304 (54) | 0.56 |
| Comorbid conditions, n (%) | |||
| Congestive heart failure | 155 (25) | 150 (27) | 0.45 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 104 (17) | 124 (22) | 0.02 |
| History of cerebrovascular accident or transient ischemic attack | 65 (10) | 62 (11) | 0.72 |
| Hypertension | 407 (65) | 383 (68) | 0.26 |
| CHADS2 score, n (%) | 0.30 | ||
| 0 | 127 (20) | 105 (19) | |
| 1 | 186 (30) | 166 (29) | |
| 2 | 166 (26) | 147 (26) | |
| 3 | 99 (16) | 83 (15) | |
| 4 | 30 (5) | 46 (8) | |
| 5 | 16 (3) | 14 (2) | |
| 6 | 3 (<1) | 2 (<1) | |
| Cardioversion, n (%) | 451 (72) | 402 (71) | 0.84 |
| Disposition, n (%) | <0.001 | ||
| Discharge | 151 (24) | 131 (23) | |
| EDOU | 191 (30) | 232 (41) | |
| Inpatient | 285 (45) | 200 (36) | |
CHADS2 indicates congestive heart failure, hypertension, age, diabetes mellitus, and prior stroke or transient ischemic attack; EDOU, emergency department observation unit.