Cardioembolic Stroke in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation & Similar Conditions

Date of release: August 10, 2011

Expiration date: July 31, 2013

Total possible credits: 1.0 AMA PRA Cat 1, 1 ACPE and 1 ANCC

Fee: $0.00

Upon completion of the educational activity, participants should be able to: Describe the pathophysiologic mechanisms including thrombin, by which atrial fibrilation may contribute to thromboembolic risk and stroke. Describe and utilize the CHADS2 Scoring System, and its recent variants in predicting thromboembolic risk in patients with atrial fibrillation including those receiving inadequate prophylaxis. List the various anticoagulation strategies and the evidence for their efficacy in atrial fibrillation, as well as the inadequacies in stroke prevention strategies among patients with atrial fibrillation. Identify potential contraindications to anticoagulation therapy and their relevance to risk assessment in patients with atrial fibrillation. Incorporate clinical guidelines and quality measures into patient care to optimize outcomes of anticoagulation therapy and minimize relapse potential. Develop strategies to improve communication between HCP's and their patients/caregivers about the benefits and risks of anticoagulation therapy for better patient outcomes.

Sponsored by The Foundation for Care Management (FCM).

This activity is supported through an educational grant from Pfizer, Inc. and Bristol-Myers Squibb

Optimal Inpatient Management of Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS): Improving Multidisciplinary Care from Admission to Discharge

Date of release: January 1, 2010

Expiration date: December 31, 2011

Total possible credits: 2.0 AMA PRA Cat 1

Fee: $0.00

Cardiovascular disease remains a major source of morbidity and mortality, particularly among the aging population. Each year, approximately 1.5 million patients are hospitalized with a primary or secondary diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Among these patients, an estimated 30% to 45% present with electrocardiogram (ECG) outcomes consistent with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), while the others have results indicating non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) or unstable angina (UA).

The updated ACC/AHA guidelines emphasize the need for multidisciplinary approaches to the management of ACS patients. Such collaborative efforts among emergency department physicians, hospitalists, and cardiologists include everything from risk assessment and diagnostic methodology, to initiation and subsequent modifications of treatment, and even post-discharge management. In this symposium, two key opinion leaders in the management of ACS will identify factors contributing to current ACS practice gaps; describe key updates in ACC/AHA guideline recommendations for the diagnosis, risk-stratification, and pharmacologic management of STEMI, NSTEMI, and UA; discuss specific guideline recommendations for the use of anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapy among ACS patients; and describe emerging evidence regarding optimal use of pharmacologic therapy for the management of ACS.

Jointly sponsored by CME-University, and AKH Inc.

This activity was supported by an independent medical education grant from the Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals partnership and the Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. and Lilly USA, LLC alliance..

Atrial Fibrillation: Debating the Risks and Benefits of Current and Emerging Therapies

Date of release: November 1, 2010

Expiration date: November 1, 2012

Total possible credits: 1.0 AMA PRA Cat 1

Fee: $0.00

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most commonly encountered arrhythmia in clinical practice, is a supraventricular tachyarrhythmia characterized by disorganized atrial electrical activity and progressive deterioration of atrial electromechanical function. There are an estimated 2.3 million Americans currently affected by AF. It has been projected that the number of Americans with AF by the year 2050 will range from more than 5.6 million to nearly 16 million. This is attributed to America’s aging population. A review of medical, drug, and disability claims in the United States during the period 1999-2002 showed that the annual direct costs of AF, expressed in 2002 dollars, were more than 5-fold higher in patients with AF ($15,553) than in a comparable number of patients (matched 1:1 for age, gender, and health plan status) without AF ($2,792). The mortality rate of patients with AF is 1.5-2 fold higher than that of patients in normal sinus rhythm and has been linked to the severity of the underlying heart disease.

Jointly sponsored by the California Chapter of the American College of Cardiology (CAACC), CME-University, and AKH Inc.

This activity is supported by an independent educational grant from Sanofi-Aventis U.S.

Atrial Fibrillation: Debating the Risks and Benefits of Current and Emerging Therapies

Date of release: November 1, 2010

Expiration date: November 1, 2012

Total possible credits: 1.0 AMA PRA Cat 1

Fee: $0.00

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most commonly encountered arrhythmia in clinical practice, is a supraventricular tachyarrhythmia characterized by disorganized atrial electrical activity and progressive deterioration of atrial electromechanical function. There are an estimated 2.3 million Americans currently affected by AF. It has been projected that the number of Americans with AF by the year 2050 will range from more than 5.6 million to nearly 16 million. This is attributed to America’s aging population. A review of medical, drug, and disability claims in the United States during the period 1999-2002 showed that the annual direct costs of AF, expressed in 2002 dollars, were more than 5-fold higher in patients with AF ($15,553) than in a comparable number of patients (matched 1:1 for age, gender, and health plan status) without AF ($2,792). The mortality rate of patients with AF is 1.5-2 fold higher than that of patients in normal sinus rhythm and has been linked to the severity of the underlying heart disease.

Jointly sponsored by the California Chapter of the American College of Cardiology (CAACC), CME-University, and AKH Inc.

This activity is supported by an independent educational grant from Sanofi-Aventis U.S.