Readmissions
Readmissions (data only from the study hospital) were examined at one-month post-hospital discharge. A total of 32 patients (21%) were readmitted to the study hospital one month after hospital discharge. There were 10 fewer readmissions from the cardiology department cohort (11 patients versus 21 patients from the ED cohort), but this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.684). Causes of readmission were most commonly recurrent AF in both cohorts (43% for ED patients versus 46% for cardiology department patients) but included other causes, both related and unrelated to the primary admission. It was interesting to note that four patients were readmitted to the ED for other cardiac causes (primarily CHF), but no such readmissions reached the cardiology department. No thromboembolic events were reported. Two patients returned due to anticoagulation issues: one due to a high routinely-drawn INR with no reported bleeding and one due to a bleeding event that required no medical intervention. Readmissions occurred after a mean of 11 or 12 days (ED cohort and cardiology department cohort, respectively) and lasted a mean of 3.1 and 3.8 days respectively. (Table 3)