Anticoagulation use in perioperative atrial fibrillation after noncardiac surgery: a systematic review and

Michael Ke Wang1,2,3, Rachel Heo4, Pascal B Meyre5

  • 1Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton (ON), Canada.

Swiss Medical Weekly
|April 20, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Anticoagulation therapy for perioperative atrial fibrillation may reduce stroke and death risk but increases bleeding. More research, including randomized trials, is needed to confirm these findings for patients undergoing noncardiac surgery.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Vascular Surgery
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Perioperative atrial fibrillation (AF) increases risks of stroke, myocardial infarction, and death after noncardiac surgery.
  • Anticoagulation is standard for non-surgical AF stroke prevention, but its role in perioperative AF is unclear.

Conclusions:

  • Anticoagulation shows potential benefits in reducing stroke and death but carries an increased bleeding risk in perioperative AF.
  • The current evidence quality is very low, necessitating randomized controlled trials.
  • Further research is crucial to establish definitive anticoagulation guidelines for perioperative AF.
Abstract

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