[Easy screening of outpatients for atrial fibrillation by analyzing fingertip pulse wave variation]

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Medical Diagnostics
• Public Health

Background:

• Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia that significantly increases the risk of cardioembolic stroke.
• Undiagnosed or untreated AF in outpatient settings contributes to preventable strokes.
• Current diagnostic methods may miss asymptomatic AF cases in routine clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a novel pulse analysis method for screening undiagnosed atrial fibrillation (AF) in hospital outpatients.
• To assess the benefits and accuracy of this pulse analysis technique in identifying asymptomatic AF.
• To determine the prevalence of newly detected AF in the screened outpatient population.

Main Methods:

• A pulse analysis software application was developed to analyze pulse interval variation.
• Screening was conducted on 16,356 hospital outpatients, primarily those over 65 years old.
• The accuracy and sensitivity of the pulse analysis method for AF detection were assessed.

Main Results:

• The pulse analysis method detected atrial fibrillation in 56 outpatients (1.1% of screened patients).
• The average age of patients diagnosed with AF was 76.9 years, with a high prevalence of risk factors (CHADS2 score >2, history of arrhythmia).
• The sensitivity of the screening device was 89.7%, indicating high accuracy in identifying AF.

Conclusions:

• The developed pulse analysis method is effective in detecting asymptomatic atrial fibrillation in an outpatient setting.
• This screening approach offers a valuable tool for identifying previously undiagnosed AF, enabling timely anticoagulation treatment.
• Implementing this pulse analysis screening can improve early detection rates of AF and potentially reduce stroke incidence.