Preventing Procedural Complications and Improving the Safety of AF Ablation
- Tue, 4/26/11 - 3:39pm
- 0 Comments
- 2112 reads
Blog by: Barbara Thomas, RN, FHRS
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, affecting nearly 3 million people in the US and about 4.5 million in the European Union, with 600,000–800,000 new cases per year. This arrhythmia is associated with a high incidence of stroke, as well as symptoms that significantly affect the quality of life of the patient. Catheter ablation is recognized as an effective treatment to cure AF, but ablative therapy is associated with significant risks for the patient. The most significant risks include thrombus/char formation, pericardial effusion, and esophageal fistula. It is important to recognize the complications related to AF ablation and to take proactive steps to minimize these risks in order to provide the best possible outcome for the patient.
So what can we do to prevent the risks of complications during AF ablation? Here are some suggestions:
Patient management of anticoagulation
1. Preprocedure:
Do Atrial Fibrillation Education Centers Improve Patient Outcomes?
- Tue, 3/2/10 - 3:13pm
- 0 Comments
- 2301 reads
Management of atrial fibrillation involves a complex set of diagnostic tests, medication regimes, and in many cases, treatment with devices or cardiac ablation. At the Venice Arrhythmia conference in October 2009, I had the opportunity to facilitate a session that asked the question above. Nurses from AFib programs around the world agreed unanimously that patients had improved outcomes if their care was managed by dedicated nurses.
There is nothing “typical” about the average ablation patient – they range from young to older, with symptoms as mild as a sense of lightheadedness to severe, such as losing consciousness or having a stroke. In any phase of their treatment – from early diagnosis through procedures such as ablation – the registered nurse plays a major role in helping the patient understand the condition and its symptoms, and in monitoring the patient’s condition.
