Use of Ambulatory Electrocardiography for the Detection of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Stroke (2000)

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SUMMARY

Ambulatory electrocardiography can detect atrial fibrillation not found on initial electrocardiogram in between 1% and 5% of people with stroke.

Ambulatory electrocardiography is generally safe. The risk of recurrent stroke in the setting of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation is uncertain, but appears to be similar to that seen with chronic atrial fibrillation (about 12% per year).

Therapy with warfarin may reduce this risk by about two-thirds as compared to placebo. The annual risk of major bleeding with warfarin therapy is between 1% and 3% but rates for individual patients depend on various specific risk factors.