Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, with stroke being an especially important and potentially devastating complication. The number of patients with atrial fibrillation is likely to increase 2.5-fold during the next 50 years, reflecting the growing proportion of elderly individuals. Emergency departments play a central role in diagnosis and treatment (rhythm and rate control, initiation of anticoagulatory therapy for stroke prevention) of atrial fibrillation. Additionally, embolic (e.g. stroke, mesenteric ischemia) complications of atrial fibrillation and bleeding complications (e.g. gastrointestinal and intracranial) of anticoagulatory therapy are likewise treated at emergency departments.~Therefor the investigators hypothesis implies that the atrial fibrillation registry could serve as a tool for structured diagnosis and therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation and therefore may improve patient care. Additionally, diagnostic and therapeutic shortcomings by analyzing registry data may be detected.
The results of this study could imply that a atrial fibrillation registry, as a tool for structured diagnosis and therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation, may improve patient care for this rapidly growing population.