Why the study?
TEE before ECV in AF is not routinely performed in anticoagulated patients.
Does routine transesophageal echocardiography before electrical cardioversion detect left atrial thrombosis and spontaneous echo-contrast in patients with atrial fibrillation regardless of anticoagulation status?
Population
403 anticoagulated and non-anticoagulated patients with AF referred for ECV
Comparison
Anticoagulated vs non-anticoagulated patients
Design
Cross-sectional study
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High LA thrombus prevalence seen on TEE in AF; hypothesis-generating for routine pre-cardioversion imaging in low-LVEF patients, pending prospective trials.
Does routine transesophageal echocardiography before electrical cardioversion detect left atrial thrombosis and spontaneous echo-contrast in patients with atrial fibrillation regardless of anticoagulation status?
Transesophageal echocardiography before electrical cardioversion identifies left atrial thrombus or spontaneous echo-contrast in over a third of atrial fibrillation patients, suggesting a potential role for routine imaging even in anticoagulated patients with low LVEF.
A 2020 study studied this question.
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