Nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation: a brief overview.

Objective: To review the effectiveness of current approaches in the treatment of patients with nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation (NRAF).

Design: Review of the available English-language articles on the epidemiology, clinical consequences, management and prevention of stroke in patients with NRAF.

Results: The incidence of atrial fibrillation increases steadily in both sexes in relation to age.

Undergoing cardiac catheterization: the effects of informational preparation and coping style on patient anxiety during the procedure.

Objective: To examine the effects of coping styles and preparatory informational treatments on patient anxiety during cardiac catheterization.

Design: Prospective, experimental, random assignment, repeated measures design.

Setting: Canadian, university-affiliated, large urban hospital.

Preparing adult patients for cardiac catheterization: informational treatment and coping style interactions.

Objective: To examine the interacting effects of coping style and type of preparatory informational treatment on cardiac catheterization patient anxiety.

Design: Pretest-posttest randomized control group design.

Setting: Canadian, university-affiliated, large urban hospital.

The changing clinical profile of coronary artery bypass graft patients, 1970-89.

Objective: To review the changing clinical profile of isolated coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery patients at the University of Alberta Hospitals during the past two decades.

Design: Data were obtained retrospectively by review of patients' hospital charts and cardiologists' charts. The three patient cohorts consisted of the first 411 consecutive patients who underwent isolated CABG surgery between 1970 and 1974, 302 consecutive patients who had CABG surgery in 1984 and 346 consecutive patients who had the operation in 1989.

Long term clinical outcomes following isolated mitral valve replacement.

Objective: This study reviews the short and long term outcomes of patients who underwent isolated mitral valve replacement at the University of Alberta Hospitals during the past decade.

Design: Data were obtained retrospectively by review of patients' hospital charts, cardiologists' follow-up charts, contact with patients' physicians, and direct telephone or mail contact with patients and/or their surviving relatives.

Results: The clinical outcomes of 198 consecutive patients (124 women and 74 men) who underwent isolated mitral valve replacement from January 1981 to December 1990 at the University of Alberta Hospital were reviewed.