AzTrials
AzTrials

Atrial FibrillationRAFF5NCT05468281

RAFF5 Proposal: Improve the Quality and Safety of Patients Seen in the Emergency Department for Acute Atrial Fibrillation and Flutter

An observational study of Atrial Fibrillation and Atrial Flutter, run by Ottawa Hospital Research Institute at 1 site in Canada.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

Acute atrial fibrillation (AF) and flutter (AFL) are the most common arrhythmias requiring management in the emergency department (ED). They are characterized by sudden onset of a rapid heart rate which may be irregular (AF) or regular (AFL). Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Atrial Fibrillation, Atrial Flutter
What is being tested?
Checklist implementation
How many people
1,108 participants
Where
1 siteCanada
Study dates
1 Sep 2022to 30 Jul 2023
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: All patients presenting to the emergency department with Atrial Fibrillation (AF) or Atrial Flutter (AFL).

Who may be able to join

  • include all eligible patient visits to the participating EDs during the study period regardless of how they are managed.
  • include stable patients aged 18 and over,
  • presenting with an episode of acute AF or AFL of at least 3 hours duration,
  • where symptoms require ED management by rhythm or rate control.

Who cannot join

  • The study will exclude patients who have any of:
  • permanent AF;
  • deemed unstable and required immediate electrical cardioversion; or
  • primary presentation was for another condition rather than arrhythmia.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Canada1 site
  • Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

    Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y 4E9

Other trials in Canada

About this study

Official title: RAFF5 Proposal: Project to Improve the Quality and Safety of the Immediate and Subsequent Care of Patients Seen in the Emergency Department With Acute Atrial Fibrillation and Flutter

Acute atrial fibrillation (AF) and flutter (AFL) are the most common arrhythmias requiring management in the emergency department (ED). They are characterized by sudden onset of a rapid heart rate which may be irregular (AF) or regular (AFL). Our focus is on episodes of acute AF or AFL which are usually less than 48 hours in duration and are highly symptomatic, requiring rapid treatment in the ED. Management guidelines for acute AF/AFL have changed substantially in recent years with several recent revisions published by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) and the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP). The 2021 CAEP Acute Atrial Fibrillation/Flutter Best Practices Checklist (CAEP Checklist) was very recently published to assist ED physicians in Canada and elsewhere manage patients who present to the ED with acute AF/AFL (Figure 1).

The overall goal of this project is to improve the quality and safety of the immediate and subsequent care of patients seen in the ED with acute AF and AFL by implementing the principles of the CAEP Checklist at both The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) EDs and by working with TOH cardiologists to provide rapid cardiology follow-up processes for patients discharged from the ED. The Investigators propose a before-after cohort study using an interrupted time series design to evaluate implementation involving 720 patients at the two TOH EDs over a 24-month period.

Being tested
Checklist implementation
Keywords
Safety, Emergency Department, Management guidelines
Medical subject headings
Atrial Fibrillation, Atrial Flutter, Emergencies

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Checklist implementationOther

    . Our strategies will include a) selection of local physician champions from the ED and cardiology; b) discussion of the goals of the study with the local physician groups; c) formal introduction of the CAEP Checklist to the physicians and nurses by means of presentations at staff meetings, emails, and an online video; d) development of an action plan to address local barriers to implementation; e) creation of a free smartphone application; f) regular reminders; and g) and distribution of charts of site compliance.

Study groups in NCT05468281
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Before PeriodThe before period (12 months) serves as the control period prior to implementation; data will be collected by health records review.
After PeriodThe after period (12 months) will be when patients are prospectively enrolled, and outcomes assessed.
Receives: Other: Checklist implementation

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Improve the quality and safety of ED management of AF and AFL

    the quality and safety of ED management based upon the CAEP Checklist management. best practices. The study team will use a score sheet which will identify specific managements for AF and AFL that are 1) optimal; 2) suboptimal; 3) unsafe.

    Measured: 14 day

Secondary outcomes (5)
  1. Use of cardioversion (chemical or electrical) in the ED

    Measured: Duration of the ED visit, approximately 4-12 hours.

  2. use of rate control and the final heart rate at disposition

    Measured: Duration of the ED visit, approximately 4-12 hours.

  3. prescription of OAC on discharge

    Whether or not they were given an outpatient prescription for oral anticoagulants in accordance with the 2021 CAEP Checklist

    Measured: Duration of the ED visit, approximately 4-12 hours.

  4. consultations done in the ED by cardiology

    Whether or not the patient had an (unnecessary) consultation done in the ED by cardiology

    Measured: Duration of the ED visit, approximately 4-12 hours.

  5. Adverse events attributable to medical management

    adverse events including: i) conduction problems; ii) dysrhythmias; iii) hypotension requiring treatment; iv) respiratory events; f) admission to a hospital unit; and g) use of the rapid referral process.

    Measured: Duration of the ED visit, approximately 4-12 hours.

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted21 Jul 2022
  2. Study start1 Sep 2022
  3. Primary completion30 Jul 2023
  4. Study completion30 Jul 2023

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
1,108 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05468281
Sponsor's protocol ID
3875
Acronym
RAFF5
Status last verified
Nov 2023
First submitted
25 May 2022
Last updated
27 Nov 2023
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Undecided: Plan to share data at the end of the study will be reviewed on a case by case basis.

Publications

  • Stiell IG, Taljaard M, Beanlands R, Johnson C, Golian M, Green M, Kwok E, Brown E, Nemnom MJ, Eagles D. RAFF-5 Study to Improve the Quality and Safety of Care for Patients Seen in the Emergency Department With Acute Atrial Fibrillation and Flutter. Can J Cardiol. 2024 Sep;40(9):1554-1562. doi: 10.1016/j.cjca.2024.01.037. Epub 2024 Feb 7.

    PubMed 38331027

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Atrial Fibrillation and Atrial Flutter, run by Ottawa Hospital Research Institute at 1 site in Canada.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 27 Nov 2023. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Improve the quality and safety of ED management of AF and AFL (time frame: 14 day). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05468281, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 27 Nov 2023.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in