Table 1. Patient Baseline Characteristics at ER and AF Clinic.
*All patients had documented AF/Atrial Flutter in the ER, †Some patients never had a second ECG in the ERAF – Atrial fibrillation; BP – Blood Pressure;CABG/PCI – Coronary artery bypass graft/Percutaneous coronary intervention; CAD –coronary artery disease; COPD – chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; ECG – electrocardiogram; EP – Electrophysiology; ER – Emergency Department; ETOH – ethyl alcohol; INR – International normalizedratio; RN- Registered Nurse; Rx –prescription; SAF– Severity of Atrial Fibrillation; TIA – transient ischemic attack
| Demographics | N=128 |
|---|---|
| Age, years (mean ± SD) | 63.6 ± 13.2 |
| ER Symptoms | |
| Chest Pain – no (%) | 25 (20%) |
| Dyspnea – no (%) | 48 (38%) |
| Fatigue/Effort Tolerance – no (%) | 26 (20%) |
| Palpitations – no (%) | 90 (70%) |
| Syncope/Presyncope – no (%) | 27 (21%) |
| Past Medical History – no (%) | |
| Known AF/Atrial Flutter (prior to current ER visit) | 72 (56%) |
| Heart Failure | 4 (3%) |
| Hypertension | 59 (46%) |
| Diabetes Mellitus | 22 (17%) |
| Stroke/TIA | 10 (8%) |
| CAD | 15 (12%) |
| Significant valvular heart disease | 3 (2%) |
| Valve surgery | 2 (2%) |
| Myocardial Infarction | 6 (5%) |
| Left ventricular systolic dysfunction | 2 (2%) |
| CABG / PCI | 12 (9%) |
| Prior major bleeding | 1 (1%) |
| Substance abuse including ETOH and street drugs | 8 (6%) |
| Initial ECG in ER - Type – no (%) | |
| AF | 100 (78%) |
| Atrial Flutter | 20 (16%) |
| Sinus Rhythm* | 8 (6%) |
| Final ECG in ER - Type – no (%) | N=96† |
| AF | 33 (34%) |
| Atrial Flutter | 5 (5%) |
| Sinus Rhythm | 58 (60%) |
| CHADS2 – no. (%) | |
| 0 | 51 (40%) |
| 1 | 37 (29%) |
| =2 | 40 (31%) |
| Rheumatic Heart Disease/Mitral Valve Replacement | 3 (2%) |
| CHA2DS2-VASc – no. (%) | |
| 0 | 22 (17%) |
| 1 | 34 (27%) |
| =2 | 72 (56%) |
| AF Clinic Appointment | N=125 |
| Time from ER to AF Clinic – days (median, IQR) (N=128) | 10.5 (5.5-18) |
| Seen by: | |
| Nurse Practitioner – no. (%) | 101 (81%) |
| EP Fellow/Resident – no. (%) | 9 (7%) |
| Physician only – no. (%) | 15 (12%) |
| AF Type – no. (%) | N=128 |
| Newly documented | 56 (44%) |
| Paroxysmal AF | 32 (25%) |
| Persistent AF | 25 (20%) |
| Long standing persistent AF | 5 (4%) |
| Atrial Flutter | 10 (8%) |
| SAF Class (mean±SD, Range) (N=83) | 1.8 ±1.0 (0-4) |
| Rhythm at AF Clinic Visit – no. (%) | N=127 |
| AF | 39 (31%) |
| Atrial Flutter | 6 (5%) |
| Sinus Rhythm | 78 (61%) |
| Other | 4 (3%) |