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Detection of Atrial Fibrillation with Intermittent Handheld Electrocardiogram in Patients with Ischemic Stroke and

Ann-Sofie Olsson1, Johan Engdahl1

  • 1Department of Medicine, Halland Hospital, Halmstad, Sweden.

Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases : the Official Journal of National Stroke Association
|August 6, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Intermittent handheld electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring detected atrial fibrillation in 7.6% of stroke and transient ischemic attack patients. This method proved effective for identifying the condition in a clinical setting.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Neurology
  • Medical Technology

Background:

  • Atrial fibrillation is a significant risk factor for recurrent ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack.
  • Undetected atrial fibrillation poses a risk despite routine investigations.
  • Intermittent handheld electrocardiogram (ECG) offers extended monitoring to improve detection rates.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the detection rate of atrial fibrillation in patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack using intermittent handheld ECG.
  • To evaluate the clinical utility of handheld ECG monitoring in a real-world hospital setting.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective study of 370 patients diagnosed with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack.
  • Utilized intermittent handheld ECG recordings from January 2010 to March 2014.
  • Defined positive detection as atrial fibrillation ≥10 seconds or a short supraventricular run.

Main Results:

  • Overall atrial fibrillation detection rate was 7.6% (95% CI 5.1%-10.1%).
  • Detection rate was higher in stroke patients (11.0%) compared to transient ischemic attack patients (5.0%).
  • Detection rate increased with age, from 4.2% in those <65 years to 9.8% in those ≥65 years.

Conclusions:

  • Intermittent handheld ECG monitoring achieved a 7.6% atrial fibrillation detection rate in stroke and transient ischemic attack patients.
  • The study demonstrated excellent patient compliance with the monitoring protocol.
  • Handheld ECG is a valuable tool for detecting intermittent atrial fibrillation in at-risk populations.
Abstract

Keywords:
Atrial fibrillationarrhythmia detectionintermittent long-term ECG monitoringstroketransient ischemic attack

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