Prevalence of atrial fibrillation in patients admitted by Internal Medicine

Abstract

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia in the world, and has significant clinical consequences. However, there are few data on the prevalence or incidence in Latin America, particularly in Colombia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed, in which a review was made of the computerised clinical records of patients admitted by Internal Medicine into three University Hospitals in Colombia. Patients admitted to Intensive Care or had vasoactive/ inotropic support were excluded. The overall prevalence was calculated, as well as by age group. The difference in prevalence between age groups was also calculated using the prevalence rates. Results: A total of 6,882 clinical records were reviewed, finding an overall prevalence of atrial fibrillation of 4.8% (331 patients), and was higher in women (2.64%). The overall median age was 65 years with an interquartile range (IQR) between 49 and 78 years. This increased to 79 years (IQR 71-86) for patients with atrial fibrillation. One or more associated comorbidities were found in 93.96% of cases, and of these the most common was chronic arterial hypertension in 74.32%. At greater than 70 years, atrial fibrillation increased 3.3 times more compared to those below this age range (prevalence ratio, 3.3). Conclusions: Atrial fibrillation in the three sites studied had an overall prevalence of 4.8%. This increased by 3.3 times in those patients over 70 years-old. This fact shows that the disease increases with increased age, making this useful data to maintain a screening policy that could improve health quality and coverage in Colombia.