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Validity of the diagnoses atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter in a Danish patient registry

Thomas Andersen Rix1, Sam Riahi, Kim Overvad

  • 1Department of Cardiology, Aalborg AF Study Group, Center for Cardiovascular Research, Aalborg Hospital, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. tar@rn.dk

Scandinavian Cardiovascular Journal : SCJ
|March 9, 2012
PubMed

Insights

The Danish National Patient Registry accurately diagnoses atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter (AFL) in men and women. However, the specific diagnosis of AFL was less reliable, particularly in women.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Epidemiology
  • Health Informatics

Background:

  • The Danish National Patient Registry is a valuable resource for epidemiological research.
  • Accurate diagnosis of arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter (AFL) is crucial for patient care and research.
  • Previous studies have questioned the diagnostic accuracy of registry data for specific cardiac conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the diagnostic validity of atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter (AFL) codes in the Danish National Patient Registry.
  • To compare the accuracy of these diagnoses between men and women.
  • To determine the relative distribution of AF and AFL within the registry.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort study (Diet, Cancer, and Health) was utilized, enrolling participants between 1993-1997.
  • Medical records of incident AF and/or AFL cases were reviewed.
  • Follow-up extended for 13.6 years, concluding on December 30, 2009.

Main Results:

  • The combined positive predictive value for AF and/or AFL was high at 92.6%, with no significant sex-based difference.
  • Atrial flutter (AFL), alone or with AF, was more prevalent in men (13.5%) than women (5.4%).
  • The positive predictive value for a specific AFL diagnosis was low, especially for women (29.6%) compared to men (57.5%).

Conclusions:

  • The Danish National Patient Registry demonstrates high validity for combined AF and/or AFL diagnoses, suitable for registry-based research.
  • A specific diagnosis of AFL in the registry is infrequently used and lacks reliability for distinguishing between AF and AFL.
  • Further research may be needed to improve the accuracy of specific arrhythmia coding in national registries.
Abstract

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