Adherence to antithrombotic therapy guidelines and atrial fibrillation in a rural hospital: A clinical audit

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a major risk factor for ischaemic stroke and a common presentation in general practice. Scoring systems to guide antithrombotic treatment have been available since 1996, with the CHA DS -VASC in current use; however, little is known about adherence to guidelines in rural general practice. The purpose of this study was to determine whether patients in a rural population and with documented history of AF are prescribed antithrombotic treatment according to recognised guidelines. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of inpatients was performed at a rural country hospital in South Australia. All patients with an ICD-10 CM code at the time of discharge were selected from June 2008 to July 2013. This included both newly diagnosed AF as well cases with existing history of AF. Results: Among the 59 patients studied, 77% of patients received appropriate anticoagulation according to CHADS score and 83% according to CHA DS -VASC score. Conclusions: This study confirms that the guidelines are routinely followed in clinical practice in this rural population.