American Journal of Cardiology
Volume 96, Issue 6 , Pages 815-821 , 15 September 2005

Comparison of Management Patterns and Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation in Canada and the United States (from the Analysis of the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management [AFFIRM] Database)

  • Gilles E. O’Hara, MD

      Affiliations

    • Institut de Cardiologie, Hôpital Laval, Quebec, Quebec, Canada
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author: Tel: 418-656-4598; fax: 418-656-4574.
    • ,
  • Lyne Charbonneau, RN, BSc

      Affiliations

    • Institut de Cardiologie, Hôpital Laval, Quebec, Quebec, Canada
    • ,
  • Mary Chandler, MS, MD

      Affiliations

    • Axio Research Corporation, Seattle, Washington
    • ,
  • Humberto J. Vidaillet Jr, MD

      Affiliations

    • Marshfield Clinic, Marshfield, Wisconsin
    • ,
  • François Philippon, MD

      Affiliations

    • Institut de Cardiologie, Hôpital Laval, Quebec, Quebec, Canada
    • ,
  • Magdi Sami, MD

      Affiliations

    • McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
    • ,
  • Thomas A. Rocco Jr, MD

      Affiliations

    • University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
    • ,
  • Farooq A. Padder, MD

      Affiliations

    • Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    • ,
  • Jean Champagne, MD

      Affiliations

    • Institut de Cardiologie, Hôpital Laval, Quebec, Quebec, Canada
    • ,
  • Craig M. Pratt, MD

      Affiliations

    • Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas
    • ,
  • Benoit Coutu, MD

      Affiliations

    • CHUM, Pavillon Notre-Dame, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
    • ,
  • D. George Wyse, MD

      Affiliations

    • University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
    • ,
  • AFFIRM Investigators

      Affiliations

    • A complete list of the AFFIRM investigators and coordinators and their affiliations has been published elsewhere (Am Heart J 2002;143:991–1001).

Received 27 January 2005 ,Revised 11 May 2005 ,Accepted 11 May 2005.

References 

  1. Rouleau JL, Moye LA, Pfeffer MA, Arnold JM, Bernstein V, Cuddy TE, et al. A comparison of management patterns after acute myocardial infarction in Canada and the United States . N Engl J Med . 1993;328:779–784
  2. Bell CM , Crystal M , Detsky AS , Redelmeier DA . Shopping around for hospital services (a comparison of the United States and Canada) . JAMA . 1998;279:1015–1017
  3. Bourassa MG, Brooks MM, Mark DB, Trudel J, Detre KM, Pitt B, et al  Quality of life after coronary revascularization in the United States and Canada . Am J Cardiol . 2000;85:548–553
  4. Detsky AS , Naylor CD . Canada’s health care system—reform delayed . N Engl J Med . 2003;349:804–810
  5. Collins-Nakai RL , Huysmans HA , Scully HE . 23rd Bethesda conference: access to cardiovascular care. Task Force 5: Access to cardiovascular care: an international comparison . J Am Coll Cardiol . 1992;19:1477–1485
  6. Anderson RJ , Prochazka AV . Generalists vs. specialists: what do the data tell us? . Hosp Pract (Off Ed) . 1995;30:9–10
  7. Woolhandler S , Campbell T , Himmelstein DU . Costs of health care administration in the United States and Canada . N Engl J Med . 2003;349:768–775
  8. Anderson GM , Newhouse JP , Roos LL . Hospital care for elderly patients with diseases of the circulatory system. A comparison of hospital use in the United States and Canada . N Engl J Med . 1989;321:1443–1448
  9. The AFFIRM Investigators . A comparison of rate control and rhythm control in patients with atrial fibrillation . N Engl J Med . 2002;347:1825–1833
  10. The Planning and Steering Committees of the AFFIRM Study for the NHLBI AFFIRM Investigators . Atrial fibrillation follow-up investigation of rhythm management—the AFFIRM study design . Am J Cardiol . 1997;79:1198–1202
  11. Kaplan EL , Meier P . Nonparametric estimation from incomplete observations . J Am Stat Assoc . 1958;53:457–481
  12. Cox DR . Regression models and life-tables . J R Stat Soc . 1972;34:187–220
  13. Hylek EM , Go AS , Chang Y , Jensvold NG , Henault LE , Selby JV Singer DE . Effect of intensity of oral anticoagulation on stroke severity and mortality in atrial fibrillation . N Engl J Med . 2003;349:1019–1026
  14. The AFFIRM Investigators . Relationships between sinus rhythm, treatment, and survival in the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) study . Circulation . 2004;109:1509–1513
  15. Bigger JT , Fleiss JL , Rolnitzky LM , Merab JP , Ferrick KJ . Effect of digitalis treatment on survival after acute myocardial infarction . Am J Cardiol . 1985;55:623–630
  16. Ozcan C, Jahangir A, Friedman PA, Munger TM, Packer DL, Hodge DO, et al. Significant effects of atrioventricular node ablation and pacemaker implantation on left ventricular function and long-term survival in patients with atrial fibrillation and left ventricular dysfunction . Am J Cardiol . 2003;92:33–37

 This study was supported by Contract N01-HC-55139 from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland.

PII: S0002-9149(05)01028-3

doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2005.05.027

American Journal of Cardiology
Volume 96, Issue 6 , Pages 815-821 , 15 September 2005

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