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Published on: February 28, 2012
Atrial Tachycardia in Patients with Cryptogenic Stroke: Is there a Need For Anticoagulation?
Insights
Atrial tachycardia on Holter monitor recordings was not more common in patients with ischemic stroke compared to syncope patients. This finding suggests atrial tachycardia alone does not warrant anticoagulation therapy.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Neurology
- Geriatrics
Background:
- Atrial tachycardia episodes are common in elderly patients on Holter monitoring.
- These episodes can progress to atrial fibrillation.
- Current guidelines do not mandate anticoagulation for atrial tachycardia with embolism risk factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of atrial tachycardia in 24-hour Holter recordings of hospitalized ischemic stroke patients.
- To compare this incidence with a control group diagnosed with syncope.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 134 ischemic stroke patients (study group) and 68 syncope patients (control group) were analyzed.
- Both groups underwent 24-hour Holter monitoring.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in the incidence of atrial tachycardia runs was observed between the ischemic stroke and syncope groups.
- Ischemic stroke patients exhibited higher rates of hypertension (P < 0.05) and CHA2DS2-VASc scores of ≥ 3 (P = 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Atrial tachycardia detected by Holter monitoring is not more prevalent in patients presenting with ischemic stroke.
- The presence of atrial tachycardia, as recorded by Holter, does not automatically indicate a need for systemic anticoagulation.
Background:
Brief episodes of atrial tachycardia are a common finding in the Holter monitor recordings of elderly patients. Episodes of atrial tachycardia may convert to atrial fibrillation. Current guidelines do not recommend anti-coagulant therapy in patients with atrial tachycardia and risk factors for embolism.
Objectives:
To assess the incidence of atrial tachycardia in a 24 hour Holter monitor recording of patients admitted to hospital with ischemic stroke.
Methods:
The patient cohort included two groups: 134 patients admitted with a diagnosis of ischemic stroke (the study group), and 68 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of syncope (the control group). Both groups used a Holter monitor.
Results:
There was no difference in the incidence of atrial tachycardia runs between the groups. Patients who suffered a stroke were more likely to be hypertensive (P < 0.05) and more likely to have a CHA2DS2-VASc score of ≥ 3 (P = 0.05).
Conclusions:
Atrial tachycardia as recorded on a Holter monitor was not more prevalent in patients presenting with ischemic stroke. The occurrence of atrial tachycardia is not an indication for systemic anticoagulation.
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