Neurology care and the long-term outcomes of atrial fibrillation-related ischaemic stroke in China: median 3-year outcome from a high volume academic tertiary hospital

• Published in: BMJ open 2023-02, Vol.13 (2), p.e066474-e066474
• Main Authors: Wang, Zidun, Wu, Nan, Wu, Fengming, Zhang, Lian, Gao, Xiaoyuan, Yang, Yilan, Li, Mingfang, Wan, Qi, Chen, Minglong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Age; Anticoagulants; Anticoagulants - therapeutic use; Atrial Fibrillation - complications; Atrial Fibrillation - drug therapy; Brain Ischemia - drug therapy; Cardiac arrhythmia; Cardiomyopathy; Cardiovascular disease; Coronary vessels; Diabetes; Disease prevention; Health Policy; Hospitalization; Hospitals; Humans; Hypertension; Ischemia; Ischemic Stroke - complications; medical education & training; Medical records; Mortality; Muscle strength; Neurology; pacing & electrophysiology; Patients; Population; public health; Regression analysis; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Stroke; Stroke - diagnosis; Stroke - etiology; Stroke - prevention & control; Tertiary Care Centers; Transient ischemic attack; Vein & artery diseases
• ISSN: 2044-6055; 2044-6055
• DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066474

ObjectivesThe initial medical contact of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and ischaemic stroke is often performed by neurologists. However, when stand care with oral anticoagulants (OACs) adherence and persistence was emphasised by cardiologists, data regarding the gap between current neurology care and standard care from Chinese tertiary hospitals is scarce and the long-term outcome is unknown. This study was to investigate the AF detection rate, the use of anticoagulation therapy and posthospital clinical outcomes associated with neurology care in patients with AF and ischaemic stroke in China.DesignA retrospective cohort study.SettingClinical data of all patients who had an ischaemic stroke discharged from the neurologic department of a high-volume academic hospital from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2017 were analysed and patients were followed.ParticipantsPatients diagnosed with ischaemic stroke and AF were included.Main outcome measuresThe usage of anticoagulation at discharge, the posthospital restroke rate and all-cause mortality.ResultsAmong 5797 patients who had an ischaemic stroke, 373 (6.43%) patients were diagnosed with AF during hospitalisation. Among them, only 198 (53.66%) patients were on anticoagulation therapy at discharge. A total of 325 (88.08%) patients were accessible and received follow-up. After a median 3-year follow-up, 103 (31.69%) patients died due to all causes. Among them, 53 (16.31%) patients died from recurrent stroke. And 86 (26.46%) patients restroked. In multivariable analysis, patients without anticoagulation therapy, muscle strength