Treatment of atrial fibrillation: from pharmacological to interventional therapy

    Authors

    Keywords

    atrial fibrillation, pharmacological therapy, interventional therapy

    DOI

    https://doi.org/10.15836/ccar2024.633

    Full Text

    Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common persistent arrhythmia, affecting millions of patients worldwide and carrying a significant risk of serious complications such as stroke, thromboembolism, heart failure, and reduced quality of life. The goal of AF treatment is to control heart rhythm and rate, reduce symptoms, and prevent complications, particularly stroke. AF treatment includes various therapeutic options, chosen based on the severity of symptoms, patient age, comorbidities, and the risk of complications. Modern approaches to AF treatment include pharmacological methods (anticoagulants, antiarrhythmics, and drugs for rhythm and rate control) and interventional therapies such as electrical and pharmacological cardioversion, catheter ablation, and pacemaker implantation. Today, physicians take a holistic approach, combining these methods to achieve optimal results. Special attention is given to interventional therapy, especially catheter ablation, which has proven highly effective in patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation who do not respond to medications. This minimally invasive procedure allows for the precise location and destruction of heart tissue causing the arrhythmia, restoring normal heart rhythm. (1) Nurses and technicians play a key role in the treatment process, whether by monitoring patients’ heart rhythms, administering therapy, educating patients on symptom self-management, or providing support after invasive procedures.

    Literature

    1. Hindricks G, Potpara T, Dagres N, Arbelo E, Bax JJ, Blomström-Lundqvist C, et al. 2020 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of atrial fibrillation developed in collaboration with EACTS. Eur Heart J. 2021 February 1;42(5):373–498. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa612
    Cardiologia Croatica
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    Treatment of atrial fibrillation: from pharmacological to interventional therapy

    Extended Abstract
    Issue11-12
    Published
    Pages633
    PDF via DOIhttps://doi.org/10.15836/ccar2024.633
    atrial fibrillation
    pharmacological therapy
    interventional therapy

    Authors

    Marina Klasan*ORCIDUniversity Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
    Ivana HodanićORCIDUniversity Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
    Katarina MatkovićORCIDUniversity Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
    Ivan ŠragaljORCIDUniversity Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
    Saša BuraORCIDUniversity Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

    *Correspondence email: klasan.m@gmail.com

    Full Text

    Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common persistent arrhythmia, affecting millions of patients worldwide and carrying a significant risk of serious complications such as stroke, thromboembolism, heart failure, and reduced quality of life. The goal of AF treatment is to control heart rhythm and rate, reduce symptoms, and prevent complications, particularly stroke. AF treatment includes various therapeutic options, chosen based on the severity of symptoms, patient age, comorbidities, and the risk of complications. Modern approaches to AF treatment include pharmacological methods (anticoagulants, antiarrhythmics, and drugs for rhythm and rate control) and interventional therapies such as electrical and pharmacological cardioversion, catheter ablation, and pacemaker implantation. Today, physicians take a holistic approach, combining these methods to achieve optimal results. Special attention is given to interventional therapy, especially catheter ablation, which has proven highly effective in patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation who do not respond to medications. This minimally invasive procedure allows for the precise location and destruction of heart tissue causing the arrhythmia, restoring normal heart rhythm. (1) Nurses and technicians play a key role in the treatment process, whether by monitoring patients’ heart rhythms, administering therapy, educating patients on symptom self-management, or providing support after invasive procedures.

    Literature

    1. 1.
      Hindricks G, Potpara T, Dagres N, Arbelo E, Bax JJ, Blomström-Lundqvist C, et al. 2020 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of atrial fibrillation developed in collaboration with EACTS. Eur Heart J. 2021 February 1;42(5):373–498.DOI