Assessment of adherence to antithrombotic therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: Despite epidemiological evidence linking COVID-19 with cardiovascular diseases, little is known about whether and how coronavirus infection (CVI) influences atrial fibrillation (AF), the most prevalent arrhythmia in clinical practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined 621 patients with AF using the Morisky-Green scale (MMAS-4) criteria to assess adherence to antithrombotic therapy. They received inpatient treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: A total of 118 patients out of 621 underwent CVI. Most patients had mild (33.9%) and moderate (49.15%) CVI. We managed to confirm the data of studies by foreign authors, according to which treatment with anticoagulants for at least 1 month reduces the severity of coronavirus infection, as well as protects against thrombotic complications. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to improve the management of AF, especially if someone was infected with COVID-19. The susceptibility to AF is increased in the acute phase of COVID-19 infection. Personal electrocardiogram devices as well as remote monitoring (teleconsultations) could optimise the care of such patients.

[Clinical and demographic features of patients with stroke and atrial fibrillation].

BACKGROUND: Stroke takes the second place among all causes for cardiovascular death and the first place in mortality and disability among other nervous system diseases. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is presently is a commonly recognized, independent risk factor for ischemic stroke, which fivefold increases the risk of an unfavorable outcome. Prevention of stroke is a complicated medical and social challenge. AIM: To study AF prevalence among patients with stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) who had received an anticoagulant therapy before hospitalization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of case reports was performed for patients diagnosed with acute cerebrovascular disease and TIA who had received a therapy from January, 2013 through December, 2015 (n=7921). From these case reports, 849 case reports of patients with concurrent AF were selected. RESULTS: In patients with stroke/TIA, the AF incidence was 10.72%. Risk assessment using the CHA2DS2­VASc scale showed that the percentage of low-risk patients (score 0) was 0.8%, intermediate risk patients (score 1) - 5.3%, and high-risk patients (score ≥2) - 93.8%; 4.7% of patients with AF received preventive therapy for thromboembolic complications. The death rate of patients with AF and stroke/TIA was 15.78% whereas in-hospital death rate of patients without AF was 7.01%. Therefore, AF is a statistically significant risk factor of in-hospital mortality for patients with stroke/TIA (OR=2.485; 95% CI: 2.023-3.053; p.