According to information from a recent study, outpatient cardiac telemetry can detect paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) in patients that have cryptogenic cerebral ischemia after 21 days.

The results of this study, which was conducted by investigators from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, have been reported to the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2012. What the investigators found was that among a third of the patients who had been discharged with stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), doctors have yet to determine the etiology of the event. Even though PAF is currently known as a potential cause, they haven’t yet been able to predict PAF in any defining manner.

“Potentially, 1 in 3 stroke patients could be monitored with this technology,” said lead author Daniel J. Miller, MD, at a press briefing. “The reason it is important to identify PAF is that it may change treatment.”

He explained that standard antiplatelet treatment would not be sufficient for this population, who would benefit instead from anticoagulation.

This study came about when investigators guessed that mobile cardiac outpatient telemetry (MCOT) may be able to detect a higher rate of PAF as well as whether those risk factors can be identified in predicting PAF if continued for 21 days. For this study, researchers analyzed 156 patients with an average age of 68.5 years from a retrospective point of view. The patient information was evaluated by MCOT, who monitored them within 6 months of the patient experiencing a cryptogenic stroke or TIA. At the time, 97 percent of them were not taking anticoagulants and 51 percent were not taking a brand of rate control medication.

In the end, the researchers discovered that “79 percent of the index events were stroke, and 35 percent of patients had a history of prior stroke or TIA, with strokes being fairly mild. Hypertension was present in 87 percent but heart failure was seen in only 8 percent.”

Miller has stated that the length of time that is taken monitoring the patients has a direct and significant link to detecting PAF, which is treated with various different medications. One of those medications is Multaq. Multaq has slowly become a last-ditch-effort treatment for AF after other medications like Warfarin fail. One of the reasons for that is because Multaq has been linked to liver failure and a worsening of the heart condition that can result in death.

If you or a loved one has developed liver failure or a worsening of your heart condition after taking Multaq, contact attorney Greg Jones for a free consultation today. I am experienced at fighting Multaq lawsuits and may be able to help you recover money for your injuries.