Stroke Prevention, Evaluation of Bleeding Risk, and Anticoagulant Treatment Management in Atrial Fibrillation Contemporary International Guidelines

• Published in: Canadian journal of cardiology 2019-05, Vol.35 (5), p.619-633
• Main Authors: Proietti, Marco, Lane, Deirdre A., Boriani, Giuseppe, Lip, Gregory Y.H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ablation Techniques; Anticoagulants - therapeutic use; Atrial Appendage - surgery; Atrial Fibrillation - therapy; Electric Countershock; Hemorrhage - chemically induced; Humans; Internationality; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Stroke - prevention & control; Thromboembolism - prevention & control
• ISSN: 0828-282X; 1916-7075
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cjca.2019.02.009

In recent years the management of atrial fibrillation patients has progressively and substantially changed because of the introduction of new treatments and the availability of new data regarding the epidemiology and clinical management of these patients. In the past 2 years alone, there have been 7 new guidelines or guideline updates that have been published, which have introduced new recommendations and significantly revised previously published ones. Two updates for Canadian guidelines were published in 2016 and 2018, whereas guidelines from the European Society of Cardiology in 2016, Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society were published in 2017, National Heart Foundation of Australia/Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand, American College of Chest Physicians, and Korean Heart Rhythm Society have been published in 2018. In this narrative review we provide a comparison of these contemporary international guidelines, with particular attention on the evaluation of thromboembolic and bleeding risks and management of oral anticoagulant therapy. From the analysis of contemporary guidelines on the management of atrial fibrillation, a general agreement is evident about the baseline evaluation of thromboembolic and bleeding risk, as well as a preference for the use of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants. Also, regarding the concomitant use of oral anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs in patients with acute coronary syndromes, undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention, catheter ablation, and cardioversion procedures, all of the guidelines agree on the general principles and are supported by evidence. More data are still needed to better substantiate recommendations for specific atrial fibrillation subpopulations. The need for an integrated approach and holistic management is highlighted in the more recently published guidelines. Ces dernières années, la prise en charge des patients atteints de fibrillation auriculaire a progressivement et considérablement changé en raison de l’introduction de nouveaux traitements et de la disponibilité de nouvelles données sur l’épidémiologie et la prise en charge clinique de ces patients. Au cours des deux dernières années seulement, les sept nouvelles lignes directrices ou mises à jour de lignes directrices qui ont été publiées ont introduit de nouvelles recommandations et ont tenu compte de l’importante révision des lignes directrices publiées antérieurement. Deux mises à jour des lignes directrices can