Hospital care for atrial fibrillation
Often, AF can be managed through the primary care that is provided by general practitioners, allied health services, community health services and community pharmacy. However, some patients with AF will need admission to hospital for investigation and management, and they may require surgical or therapeutic procedures during the admission. Other patients might be admitted to hospital for reasons other than AF, but their AF contributes to the care that they need in hospital—for example, people with AF who have a stroke.
Note that the hospitalisation data presented here are based on admitted patient episodes of care, which exclude non-admitted emergency department care, but can include multiple events experienced by the same individual. In 2018–19, over 27,400 patients were admitted to hospital following an emergency department presentation with AF as the principal diagnosis (AIHW 2020). Other patients who presented in emergency departments with AF would not have been admitted to hospital. Cardioversions performed in emergency departments are not captured in the data used for this report.
References
AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) 2020. Emergency department care 2018–19: Australian hospital statistics. Canberra: AIHW. Viewed 01 September 2020.