If you have been in AF longer than 48 hours, you will need 3 weeks of treatment with anticoagulants, such as warfarin, before electric shock and for 4 weeks after. Anyone with underlying heart disease or those that do not respond to rate controlling treatment may require hospital care. A statement for healthcare professionals from the subcommittee on electrocardiography and electrophysiology, American Heart Association. Antithrombotic management of atrial fibrillation for stroke prevention in older people. Medicine is a constantly changing science and not all therapies are clearly established.
New research changes drug and treatment therapies daily.
However, as medical science is constantly changing and human error is always possible , the authors, editors, and publisher or any other party involved with the publication of this article do not warrant the information in this article is accurate or complete, nor are they responsible for omissions or errors in the article or for the results of using this information. The reader should confirm the information in this article from other sources prior to use. In particular, all drug doses, indications, and contraindications should be confirmed in the package insert. Atrial Fibrillation Please email us with any comments you have on our new chapter format.