ED Visits and Hospital Admissions for Atrial Fibrillation

Since 1993, the annual number of ED visits for AF has nearly doubled, but the rate of admission for AF has remained stable, resulting in nearly twice the number of hospital admissions for AF.

In recent years, new therapies for atrial fibrillation (AF) have become available, and greater consensus has been reached about treatment regimens. In the U.S., the number of people living with AF is expected to increase dramatically during the next few decades as the population ages. In a retrospective cohort study, researchers used data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey from 1993 to 2004 to evaluate trends in emergency department visits among patients with a primary diagnosis of AF.

An estimated 2.7 million ED visits for AF occurred during the study period. The absolute number of visits increased 88% (from 300,000 in 1993–1994 to 564,000 in 2003–2004), and the population-adjusted visit rate doubled from 0.6 to 1.2 v…

Reviewing Author

Richard D. Zane, MD, FAAEM

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Richard D. Zane, MD, FAAEM

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose