Patient Specific Reasons for Attending the Emergency Department in the Setting of Atrial Fibrillation

Abstract

Of 3,080 patients, 42% were female. Women with ECG-documented AF were significantly older than men (81AE8 vs. 77AE7 years, p < 0.0001). Clinical characteristics of hospitalized patients by gender are described in Table 1. Among high stroke risk hospitalized patients with a CHADS2!2, there was no difference between anticoagulant use at discharge in women vs. men; warfarin (49% vs. 46%, p¼NS) or novel oral anticoagulants (NOAC) (11% vs. 10%, p¼NS). Among hospitalized patients between the ages of 65-74 years old, slightly more women than men were on warfarin (43% vs. 37%, p¼0.0495). NOAC use was similar between genders at hospital discharge (10% vs. 8%, p¼NS). Among hospitalized patients over the age of 75 years old, there was no significant difference in the prescription of warfarin between women and men (48% vs. 46%, p¼NS) or NOACs (9% vs. 9%, p¼ NS). CONCLUSION: Among patients admitted to an academic hospital with ECG-documented AF and guideline-indicated for stroke prevention with anticoagulants, there was no difference in anticoagulant use between men and women at hospital discharge. Overall, anticoagulant use appears to be suboptimal.