Vnitr Lek 2008, 54(1):21-24

Monitoring age-dependent effect of anticoagulation treatment in patients with atrial fibrillation

T. Hnátek^*, D. Zogala, L. Kameník, I. Kotík, I. Jeřábek, M. Zavoral

Kardiologické oddělení Interní kliniky 1. lékařské fakulty UK a ÚVN Praha, přednosta doc. MUDr. Miroslav Zavoral, Ph.D.

Oral anticoagulation treatment with dicumarol preparations (warfarin sodium) is the standard in patients with atrial fibrillation. The effect of treatment depends on many factors, especially in elderly patients. In the study, we assessed the effect of treatment in patients with atrial fibrillation hospitalized in our cardiology ward from 2004 to 2005, in the form of a telephone survey (who controlled the treatment - general practitioner or internist?, the last 2 INR results, complications). INR 2.0-3.5 is considered an efficient therapeutic range. The proportion of permanently correctly anticoagulated patients is approximately 47 % across the whole age range, the hypothesis of lower efficiency of treatment in elderly patients does not apply (48 % of efficiently anticoagulated patients younger than 75 years vs. 46 % of older patients - however, the study does not include polymorbid patients who could not take warfarin at all!) The fact whether a patient is monitored by a general practitioner or an outpatient specialist does not make any difference (49 % of anticoagulated patients monitored by a general practitioner vs. 52 % of patients monitored by an internist). The percentage of severe complications is relatively low (3.4 %).

Keywords: atrial fibrillation; warfarin; anticoagulation treatment

Received: June 29, 2007; Accepted: September 17, 2007; Published: January 1, 2008  Show citation