Internal medicine journal
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Internal medicine journal · Apr 2003
ReviewManagement of atrial fibrillation in the emergency department.
Abstract Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia and is a frequent cause for presentation to the emergency department. With an understanding of the pathophysiology and types of AF, efficient and effective management strategies for AF can be formulated. ⋯ In patients with AF and severe underlying heart disease, the management is primarily directed at the underlying heart disease, supplemented with rate-controlling measures, and prevention of thromboembolic complications. In patients with persistent AF good rate control, early cardioversion and initiation of an antiarrhythmic are likely to reduce the risk of recurrence.
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Internal medicine journal · Apr 2003
Full publication of trials initially reported as abstracts in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Medicine 1980-2000.
Abstract Failure to identify all relevant reports of controlled trials is a potential source of bias in systematic reviews of health-care interventions. The present study aims to identify how many reports of trials -initially published as conference abstracts in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Medicine were subsequently published in full. We identified trial reports by handsearching conference abstracts published in the Journal from 1980 to 2000. ⋯ A total of 962 reports of controlled trials was identified from the conference proceedings of 17 medical societies. Of these, 589 (61%) reports of trials were subsequently published in full, and on average within 1-2 years. Handsearching conference abstracts identified a large number of reports of controlled trials, over one-third of which were unpublished and therefore not easily accessible.