Anticoagulant Therapy in Atrial Fibrillation for Stroke Prevention: Assessment of Agreement Between Clinicians' Decision and CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED Scores.

INTRODUCTION

To prevent stroke, anticoagulants should be administered after calculation of CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores in patients with Atrial Fibrillation (AF); nonetheless, these scores are sometimes neglected in clinical settings.

AIM

The present study was designed to assess agreement of anticoagulant therapy according to clinicians and CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores in Iranian AF patients in Moddares Hospital.

METHODS

AF patients were diagnosed according to clinical history, clinical examination, and electrocardiogram. Data including the anticoagulant prescription according to clinicians were recorded. CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores were then calculated for each patient. Agreement of anticoagulant therapy according to clinicians and CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores was analyzed using Cohen's kappa coefficient.

RESULTS

97.5% of the patients (n = 117) were appropriately (according CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores) treated with anticoagulants by clinicians, notwithstanding a 2.5% of patients with inappropriate anticoagulant therapy (n = 3). The Cohen's kappa coefficient was 0.81 (P = 0.0).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of the present study suggest an almost perfect agreement between anticoagulant therapy according to clinicians and that according to CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores in the studied population.