Impact of Standardizing Management of Atrial Fibrillation with Rapid Heart Rate in the Emergency Department

Abstract

CONTEXT: There is substantial variation in the emergency treatment of atrial fibrillation with tachycardia. A standardized treatment approach at an academic center decreased admissions without adverse outcomes, but this approach has not been evaluated in a community Emergency Department (ED). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the implementation of a standardized treatment guideline for patients with atrial fibrillation and a rapid heart rate in a community ED. DESIGN: An observational pre-/postimplementation (August 2013 to July 2014 and August 2014 to July 2015, respectively) study at a community ED. The standardized treatment guideline encouraged early oral treatment with rate control medication, outpatient echocardiogram, and early follow-up. A multiple logistic regression model adjusting for patient characteristics was generated to investigate the association between the intervention and ED discharge rate. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary measure was ED discharge. Secondary measures included stroke or death, ED return visit, hospital readmission, length of stay, and use of oral rate control medications. RESULTS: A total of 199 (104 pre/95 post) ED encounters were evaluated. The ED discharge rate increased 14% after intervention (57.7% to 71.6%, p = 0.04), and use of rate control medications increased by 19.4% (p < 0.01). Adjusted multivariate results showed a nearly 2-fold likelihood of ED discharge after guideline implementation (odds ratio = 1.97, 95%confidence interval = 1.07-3.63). Length of stay, return visits, and hospital readmissionswere similar. CONCLUSION: A standardized approach to ED patients with atrial fibrillation and tachycardia is associated with a decrease in hospital admissions without adversely affecting patient safety.