Anticoagulation for stroke prevention in new atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass graft surgery

BACKGROUND: The benefit of early anticoagulation for stroke prophylaxis in atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is uncertain. We therefore studied what proportion of ischemic strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation early after CABG surgery were potentially preventable by anticoagulation with warfarin. METHODS: We reviewed medical records from 2264 patients with isolated CABG performed during a period when …