[Current guidelines on atrial fibrillation - What do the AWMF and ESC recommend?]

Atrial fibrillation is the most common persistent cardiac arrhythmia in adults. It is characterized by chaotic excitation of the atria, which leads to subsequent arrhythmic ventricular excitation. Due to the high prevalence of atrial fibrillation in the general population, patients with this diagnosis are found in all medical specialties. The diagnosis and treatment of atrial fibrillation are subject to a steady increase in specialist knowledge, as demonstrated by the guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften (AWMF) on the diagnosis and management of atrial fibrillation in clinical practice.The two guidelines show a high degree of consistency in their recommendations for optimal evidence-based atrial fibrillation therapy, but there are also interesting differences in key aspects: atrial fibrillation screening, choice of anticoagulant, and recommendations for primary pulmonary vein isolation. Some of these recommendations are based on local conditions, such as the more frequent use of phenprocoumon over warfarin in Germany. However, some of them also represent a different interpretation of the scientific evidence. In summary, due to their textbook-like nature, both guidelines provide a good overview of the current management of atrial fibrillation patients.