Cardiology Letters 2016, 25(6):443-448

Echocardiography and atrial fibrillation in seniors: data from SAFIS study

Dúbrava M¹, Németh F², Drobná T³, Gerlich L⁴

¹ Klinika geriatrie LFUK a UN Bratislava

² Oddelenie vnútorného lekárstva a geriatrie, FNsP J. A. Reimana v Prešove

³ Oddelenie geriatrie a dlhodobo chorých, FN Trenčín

Oddelenie dlhodobo chorých NsP Prievidza - nemocnica Bojnice, Slovenská republika

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent arrhythmia in elderlies and can negatively influence their quality of life. According to the last global guidelines for the management of AF, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is recommended in all AF patients. In this paper we offer original real life information on frequency of TTE in hospitalised seniors with AF from the "Slovak audit of Atrial FIbrillation in Seniors" (SAFIS) study, which enrolled 4252 consecutive patients (pts.) with AF aged ≥ 65 years (mean age 80.9 years) hospitalised during 2.5 years in 4 acute geriatric inpatient departments in Slovakia. During hospitalisation the information that TTE was performed in the preceding year or during the particular hospitalisation (cumulative TTE frequency) was known in 53.6% of pts. (during the preceding year in 23.6% and during the hospitalisation in 32.4% of pts.). We believe that there are two reasons for this insufficient TTE frequency: the availability of TEE for a senior and the continuous shortening of the length of hospital stay in polymorbid seniors. Also in those first diagnosed with AF, cumulative TTE frequency reached only 58%. Cumulative TTE frequency declined significantly with age (from 68% in 65-69 years old, up to 41% in ≥ 90 years old). An important difference in cumulative TTE frequency was in patients who died (38%) vs survivors (56%). These patient subgroups comprise the target group in which we should increase the rate of TTE. We also made two cheering findings: there was a statistically important increase in TTE frequency during the study (from 49,9% to 56,3%) and TEE was performed more frequently in AF patients admitted for AF than in those with AF who were admitted for a different reason than AF itself (by 15,9%).

Keywords: atrial fibrillation; geriatrics; echocardiography; SAFIS

Published: June 1, 2016  Show citation