Offutt Carol
Cardiology, Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic States, Washington, DC, USA.
J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2004 Nov-Dec;19(6 Suppl):S3-10. doi: 10.1097/00005082-200411001-00002.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common chronic arrhythmia. Incidence of AF in the heart failure population is high--10% to 30%--and is associated with a reduction in exercise capacity and a poor long-term prognosis. Management of AF includes 4 strategies: control of heart rate, termination of AF/conversion back to sinus rhythm, prevention of recurrences, and prevention of thromboembolic events. This article reviews these management strategies in the heart failure population.
