Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation: Current Evidence for Tailoring Antithrombotic Therapy- Nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice and afflicts more than 3 million people in the United States. AF is an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke severity, recurrence, and mortality. Individuals with AF have 4 to 5 times greater risk for ischemic stroke. The National Stroke Association emphasizes the importance of treatment to prevent stroke in patients with AF, noting that patients tend to experience worse outcomes from AF-related stroke compared with non-AF-related stroke. Poor outcomes associated with AF-related stroke include increased mortality, stroke recurrence, functional impairment, and dependency. Quality measures from multiple organizations attest to improvement needed in clinical practice to reduce death from stroke, which includes preventing stroke in patients with AF.
Use evidence-based risk scoring assessments to properly risk stratify patients with AF, considering stroke and bleeding risks.
Discuss key differences in the pharmacologic profiles of the new oral anticoagulants that may impact selection of a specific agent for an individual patient with AF.
Select the correct dosage for oral anticoagulant therapy for patients with AF and renal impairment.
Develop individualized guideline-based antithrombotic treatment regimens for stroke prevention in patients with AF1.0 Free CEUs for Nurses
Expires 11-23-16
