A new study is suggesting that constant rhythm monitoring is the best way for doctors to be able to detect recurrent atrial fibrillation (AF) after a patient undergoes an ablation procedure.

“Patient follow-up with either short or long duration intermittent rhythm monitoring is significantly inferior to continuous rhythm monitoring for the detection of AF recurrence,” Dr. Efstratios I. Charitos of the University of Luebeck, Germany told Reuters Health in an email.

The paper, which was published online in July, shows Charitos and his colleagues’ mathematical report that they built by using information they collected from 647 patients that had either implantable loop recorders or cardiac pacemakers. What this report shows is that “monitoring for four random 24-hour periods had a sensitivity of only 52 percent. They could achieve a sensitivity of 65 percent with either one 30-day period of continuous monitoring or seven random 24-hour monitoring periods,” according to a published account of this study on Medscape.

What this report didn’t show — according to an editorial composed by Dr. Gerhard Hindricks and Dr. Chrisopher Piorkowski — is how this will deal with patient symptoms. They also state that this will cause a big deficit in terms of clinical compatibility.

As for the researchers of the study, they believe that continuous low-frequency monitoring of AF patients can have a large effect on how doctors evaluate the recurrence of AF. It is for this reason that continuous monitoring is recommended, particularly for patients who are otherwise asymptomatic before an AF recurrence. Detection of AF recurrence could also help patients who are taking anticoagulant medications like Multaq to seek better treatment options. Multaq has been linked to liver failure and worsening of the heart condition, and because of this, the drug is only recommended for use if other medications for AF treatment fails.

If you or a loved one has suffered from liver failure or a worsening heart condition after being treated with Multaq, contact the attorneys at Greg Jones today for a free consultation. I am experienced at fighting Multaq lawsuits and may be able to help you recover money for your injuries.