TITLE:
Atrial Fibrillation: Epidemiological, Etiological and Hospital Management Aspects in Thies (Senegal)
AUTHORS:
Désiré Alain Affangla, Ngor Ndeb Thiam, Stéphanie C. Akanni, Jean-Michel Amath Dione, Hugues Elie Elame Ngwa, Djibril Marie Ba, Mohamed Mcbo Leye, Adama Kane
KEYWORDS:
Atrial Fibrillation, Hypertension, Rheumatic Heart Disease, Anticoagulant, Senegal
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of Cardiovascular Diseases,
Vol.13 No.9,
September
14,
2023
ABSTRACT: Introduction: The objective of this work was to describe the epidemiological,
etiological, clinical and therapeutic aspects of atrial fibrillation (AF) in
Thies, Senegal. Materials
and Methods: This was a retrospective, multicentre, descriptive study from February 1st, to
May 28th, 2019 carried out in the 3
hospitals of the city of Thies that focused on patients with AF documented
by an ECG. Valvular and non-valvular AF classification was used and the
CHA2DS2-VASc score was used to assess thromboembolic risk. Results: We
collected 67 patients with a female predominance (M/F sex ratio of 0.71). The
prevalence of AF was 1.7%. The average age of patients was 66.67 ± 13.48 years.
Forty-eight patients (71.64%) had palpitations and 32 patients (47.76%) had heart failure. Hypertension was the most common
etiological factor found in 41 patients (61.19%) followed by rheumatic valvular
disease in 25 patients (37.31%). The non-valvular AF was found in 42 patients
(62.69%) of which 34 (80.95%) had a CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥ 2. Vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) were prescribed in
47 patients (79.66%) and aspirin alone in 12 patients (20.34%). Direct Oral
Anticoagulants (DOACs) were not prescribed in any patient. Seven patients
(10.44%) had a medical regulator treatment and no electrical cardioversion was
performed. Conclusion: AF was a frequent rhythm disorder. Hypertension and
rheumatic mitral valve disease were the most frequently associated etiological
factors. The diagnosis was often late in the heart failure stage. Anticoagulant
treatment was insufficiently prescribed and based exclusively on VKAs.