Abstract
Answer C. Rate control
Rate control is the primary objective for GPs optimising patients with atrial fibrillation, as cardiac output can fall dramatically with tachycardia. Evidence supporting a specific pre-operative heart rate target is limited, but typically a heart rate of 60–80 beats per minute at rest is considered optimal, and heart rates exceeding 90 beats per minute require further medical management in line with usual practice. Patients should expect to receive clear instructions from pre-operative assessment clinic about anticoagulants and antiplatelets in the immediate peri-operative period as they have prime responsibility for this.
InnovAiT article: Preparing patients for surgery: peri-operative care and general practice. DOI: 10.1177/17557380221120441.