The Prevalence of Atrial Fibrillation among Acute Medical Admissions in Kuwait

OBJECTIVE: To establish the prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) among acute medical admissions to the Adan Hospital, Kuwait, and to evaluate the clinical features of the patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Of 2,833 acute medical admissions to the Adan Hospital from January 1 to May 31, 2003, 120 patients with AF were included in the study. The patients were divided into paroxysmal or persistent (PPAF), and chronic atrial fibrillation (CAF). The prevalence of stroke and clinical features of the CAF patients with and without strokes were studied. All the patients with AF underwent echocardiography to evaluate left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left atrial dimension (LAD). RESULTS: The prevalence of AF in the study period was 4.24%, of which 68.3% had CAF and 31.7% had PPAF. The prevalence of heart failure, ischemic heart disease, systemic hypertension, and diabetes mellitus was 27.5, 55.8, 65.8, and 53.3%, respectively. Patients with CAF were older and had a higher prevalence of heart failure compared to PPAF patients. Of the patients with CAF, 26.8% had at least one episode of stroke. The CAF patients had lower LVEF and larger LAD than PPAF patients. Stroke patients with CAF had lower LVEF and larger LAD as compared to those without stroke. CONCLUSION: Atrial fibrillation is a common admission diagnosis in our hospital. Patients with AF commonly suffer from heart failure, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and ischemic heart disease. There was a high prevalence of stroke among CAF patients.