Screening of older patients for atrial fibrillation in general practice: Current evidence and its implications for future practice
Why the study?
Do screening strategies for atrial fibrillation improve the detection of undiagnosed asymptomatic AF in older patients in primary care?
Population
Older patients or those diagnosed with or undergoing monitoring for hypertension in the primary care setting.
Design
Review
Authors
Discussion
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Member takes
Implication
May support opportunistic AF screening in primary care; leaves open need for RCTs confirming stroke prevention.
Structured PICO
Do screening strategies for atrial fibrillation improve the detection of undiagnosed asymptomatic AF in older patients in primary care?
P
Population
Older patients (e.g., aged ≥65 years) or those diagnosed with or undergoing monitoring for hypertension in the primary care setting.
I
Intervention
Screening strategies for atrial fibrillation, including opportunistic screening via pulse palpation and handheld devices, with subsequent 12-lead electrocardiogram testing.
O
Outcome
Identification of individuals with undiagnosed asymptomatic atrial fibrillation
Opportunistic screening for atrial fibrillation in primary care using pulse palpation or handheld devices is a cost-effective strategy to identify undiagnosed AF and facilitate stroke prevention in older adults.
Cite This Study
Fay et al. (2017) studied this question.