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Atrial Fibrillation

  • Chapter
Fundamental Approaches to the Management of Cardiac Arrhythmias

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Abstract

Atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice. It accounts for more than 300,000 hospital admissions annually in the Unit ed States [1]. The prevalence of atrial fibrillation increases with age, (e.g., 0.5% at age 50–59 years and up to 9% at 80–89 years) [2], and, in addition, it increases with the de velopment of cardiac and non-cardiac conditions such as rheumatic heart disease, hypertension, atherosclerotic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, pericarditis, and hyperthyroidism. [3–5]. Atrial fibrillation is also noted to be more prevalent in men than in women [6].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California, USA

    Ruey J. Sung M.D. (Professor of Medicine, Director)

  2. Cardiac Electrophysiology & Arrhythmia Service, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California, USA

    Ruey J. Sung M.D. (Professor of Medicine, Director)

  3. Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA

    Michael R. Lauer M.D., Ph. D. (Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Attending Cardiac Electrophysiologist, Assistant Director)

  4. The Permanente Medical Group, Kaiser-Permanente Medical Center, San Jose, California, USA

    Michael R. Lauer M.D., Ph. D. (Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Attending Cardiac Electrophysiologist, Assistant Director)

  5. Cardiac Electrophysiology Laboratory, Kaiser-Permanente Medical Center, San Jose, California, USA

    Michael R. Lauer M.D., Ph. D. (Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Attending Cardiac Electrophysiologist, Assistant Director)

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  1. Ruey J. Sung M.D.
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  2. Michael R. Lauer M.D., Ph. D.
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Sung, R.J., Lauer, M.R. (2000). Atrial Fibrillation. In: Fundamental Approaches to the Management of Cardiac Arrhythmias. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4371-4_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4371-4_14

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