Article ID: 11034
Background and Purpose: Cardioembolic stroke with atrial fibrillation plays an important role in cerebral infarction. Although anticoagulant therapy is required to prevent cardioembolic stroke, many patients with atrial fibrillation do not receive appropriate anticoagulant therapy. The purpose of this study was to analyze the anticoagulant therapy before the onset of cardioembolic stroke due to fibrillation. Methods: Among patients admitted to our hospital with a diagnosis of acute cerebral infarction between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2019, we selected cardioembolic stroke patients with atrial fibrillation and analyzed their anticoagulant therapy. Results: We identified 366 cases of cardioembolic stroke with atrial fibrillation. Among them, 124 cases received anticoagulant therapy. There were 71 cases of warfarin use and 53 cases of DOAC use. Of the warfarin use cases, prothrombin time–international normalized ratio (PT-INR) reached the therapeutic range in 16 cases. Of the DOAC use cases, 35 received the appropriate dose. There were 236 cases without anticoagulant therapy, and at least 73 cases had been diagnosed as atrial fibrillation before admission. The prescriptions in 6 cases were unknown. Conclusion: Only few of the cases of cardioembolic stroke with atrial fibrillation received appropriate anticoagulant therapy. In addition, there were many cases in which anticoagulant therapy was not prescribed despite a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation.
