[Prevention of thromboembolic complications during cardioversion and catheter ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation: review of key randomized trials].

This review focuses on the relevance of sinus rhythm control in patients with atrial fibrillation in real-life clinical practice and specific clinical features of patients with this arrhythmia. The authors presented current guidelines on prevention of thromboembolic complications and a review of results from major clinical studies of direct oral anticoagulants. The search for literature and selection of clinical studies for 2009-2020 were performed on websites of the European and Russian Societies of Cardiology, the All-Russian Scientific Society of Arrhythmologists, and in online databases PubMed, EMBASE, eLibrary, and Google Scholar using the key words atrial fibrillation, anticoagulants, ablation, cardioversion, and efficacy and safety.