Current management of atrial fibrillation in the emergency department

Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of arrhythmia diagnosed in the emergencydepartment. Many patients are diagnosed with new-onset atrial fibrillation in theemergency department. The 2024 European Society of Cardiology guidelines(ESC) introduce a new approach for management of atrial fibrillation called as AF-CARE.While atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response disrupts the hemodynamicstatus of the patient or rate control is an important problem to be solved acutelyin emergency departments, also early and accurate diagnosis, selection ofappropriate rate and rhythm control agents and identification of patients in need ofanticoagulation will be important milestones for the management of atrial fibrillationin the emergency departments to better prevent important complications such asstroke and heart failure. Nowadays, emergency physicians also play an important rolenot only in the proper management of atrial fibrillation in the emergency department but also in initiating a teamwork based management as recommended in the AF-CARE approach.