How hard do we look for atrial fibrillation?

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common arrhythmias, affecting approximately 2% of the general population. Identifying AF after an ischaemic stroke is particularly important as it changes the recommended antithrombotic therapy from antiplatelets to anticoagulation. Currently, there is no clear consensus with regards to the duration of rhythm monitoring post-stroke. In our study, we aim to review some of the pivotal studies regarding rhythm monitoring after an ischaemic stroke and identify the percentage of patients who get referred for prolonged rhythm monitoring after a stroke by providing real-world data from the Ipswich hospital. To our surprise, we did not identify any patients who got referred for prolonged rhythm monitoring (ILR) and the proportion of patients who did not have a 24-hour tape was unexpectedly high. In addition, there was a clear tendency for patients with lacunar strokes not to get investigated with 24-hour tape.

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