Retrospective Investigation Of 463 Hospitalized Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological factors and evaluate the current status of treatment in hospitalized patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) in Urumqi. Method: Retrospective analysis of hospital records were taken from patients with diagnosis of AF, discharged from Jan. 1999 to Dec. 2001. Results: (1) A total of 463 cases were enrolled. Mean age was 59.5 ± 13.05 years old. The cases distribution progressively rose with age. (2)The causes and companying diseases of AF: heart failure 52.7%, hypertension 32.8%, rheumatic valvular disease 28. 9%, coronary heart disease 24. 2%, idiopathic AF 14.0%, cardiomyopathy 9. 7%, diabetes 5. 2%, sick sinus syndrome 4. 8%. (3)Types of AF: paroxysmal AF were 25. 3%, persistent AF were 74. 7%. (4)Paroxysmal AF treated with rhythm control was 49.6%, and the drug mostly choiced was amiodarone. 40.2% of paroxysmal AF were not conducted when the episode. (5)Persistent AF was mainly treated with rate control (77. 5%). The drug mostly choiced was digoxin. In 22.5% of patients, the cardioversion had been attempted, with only 29.5% of these patients who could maintain sinus rhythm. (6)The prevalence of stroke in this group was 5.6%. 71.2% of patients receivingantithrombotic therapy had used of aspirin with lower than 100mg. 17. 5% of patients had never antithrombotic therapy. Conclusion: Most epidemicologic factors of AF in this group were highly in accordance with those reports from domestic and other countries, such as age distribution, cause and companying disease. Paroxysmal AF was mainly managed with strategy of rhythm control and persistent AF dominantly with approach of rate control. The prevalence of stroke in this group was lower than that from other investigations in domestic. Most patients received antithrombotic therapy by aspirin with lower than lOOmg.