Please note: In 2003, the CTF updated its Grades of Recommendations to include an "I Recommendation" for situations where insufficient evidence exists to allow a recommendation to be made. (Formerly, these situations were captured under a "C Recommendation".) This change is not retroactive, and all "C Recommendations" made prior to 2003 have not been reevaluated in light of the new "I" recommendation grade. For a discussion of these recommendation grades, please link to the 2003 article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal here.
These recommendations were finalized by the Task Force in June 1999
| MANEUVER | EFFECTIVENESS | LEVEL OF EVIDENCE <REF> | RECOMMENDATION |
| Ambulatory ECG | The maneuver is safe but little is know about its sensitivity and specificity | Descriptive studies <36-39> (III) | |
| All patients presenting with stroke or transient ischemic attack | Detection of atrial fibrillation over initial ECG is 2.3% - 5.4% | Cohort and case-control studies <46-52> (II-2) | There is insufficient evidence to recommend for or against ambulatory ECG screening for patients presenting with stroke or transient ischemic attack (C) |
| Anticoagulation if atrial fibrillation detected after stroke | |||
| Patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation | Unknown | 25% of patients in large randomized controlled trial <19> (I) (no subgroup data provided) | There is fair evidence to generalize from chronic atrial fibrillation data and expert opinion to recommend therapy with warfarin (B)* |
*While direct evidence is lacking, anticoagulation should be strongly
considered.
Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences Abstract
Link to Structured Abstract of this review
Link to Selected References list of this review
Reprinted in modified format by the Canadian
Task Force on Preventive Health Care
with permission.
Original Copyright
© 1999 Minister of Supply and Services Canada.
For any technical issues please contact: webmaster@ctfphc.org
Last modified: March 1, 2000.
