Management of atrial fibrillation and venous thromboembolism in primary care: anticoagulation and beyond - Face to Face Event

Around 1.2 million people in the UK have diagnosed AF, which is associated with a five-fold increased risk of stroke. Furthermore, it is estimated that a further half a million people in the UK have undiagnosed AF.¹ Anticoagulation is an effective way to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with AF, but there remains a treatment gap with only 87% of patients with AF who are at high risk of stroke currently anticoagulated.²

Improving outcomes in patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) is also a priority, as one in 20 people in the UK will have a VTE in their lifetime, and there are 25,000 deaths caused by VTE in the UK each year, placing a significant burden on the NHS and society.^3,4

In this case-study educational  meeting, you will have the opportunity to build on your understanding of how to implement the relevant guidelines on the detection and management of NVAF and VTE in practice, with the goal of improving the quality of care for your patients. Current NICE guidelines recommend the use of anticoagulation with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) for the prevention of stroke in NVAF and treatment of VTE ^5,6 Consequently, consideration and optimal use of DOACs will be a core part of the masterclass, aimed at improving patient outcomes in NVAF and VTE.

The educational meeting will cover a holistic approach to the management of non-valvular AF (NVAF), exploring the most effective ways to identify and treat AF in primary care including symptom control and consideration of co-morbidities and CVD risk factors, as well as the optimisation of stroke prevention. A key focus of the presentation will be the management of AF in those patients who have diabetes or renal co-morbidities.

The educational meeting will also illustrate the key issues, assessment of risk and the decision-making process when managing acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), as well as the considerations around extended anticoagulation for the prevention of recurrent  VTE. In addition, the option of outpatient treatment for patients with low-risk PE will be considered.

1. Stroke Association 2020. Atrial fibrillation (AF) and stroke.
Available at https://www.stroke.org.uk/resources/atrial-fibrillation-af-and-stroke
Accessed January 2022

2. Innovation agency, Atrial fibrillation.
Available at https://www.innovationagencynwc.nhs.uk/our-work/health-and-social-care/af-stroke
Accessed January 2022

3. Accessed October 2021.4. All-Party Parliamentary Thrombosis Group. Annual Review 2018.
Available at: http://apptg.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/APPTG-annual-survey-report-2018-compressed.pdf.
Accessed January 2022

4. House of Commons Health Committee Second Report of Session 2004–05. Available at: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200405/cmselect/cmhealth/99/99.pdf 
Accessed January 2022

5. NICE Clinical Guideline (NG196).
Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG196
Accessed January 2022

6. Venous thromboembolic disease: diagnosis, management and thrombophilia testing. NICE Guideline 158.
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng158
Accessed January 2022