Laurent Fauchier

The ESC Guidelines represent the views of the ESC and were produced after careful consideration of the scientific and medical knowledge and the evidence available at the time of their publication. The ESC is not responsible in the event of any contradiction, discrepancy and/or ambiguity between the ESC Guidelines and any other official recommendations or guidelines issued by the relevant public health authorities, in particular in relation to good use of healthcare or therapeutic strategies. Health professionals are encouraged to take the ESC Guidelines fully into account when exercising their clinical judgment, as well as in the determination and the implementation of preventive, diagnostic or therapeutic medical strategies; however, the ESC Guidelines do not override, in any way whatsoever, the individual responsibility of health professionals to make appropriate and accurate decisions in consideration of each patient's health condition and in consultation with that patient and, where appropriate and/or necessary, the patient's caregiver. Nor do the ESC Guidelines exempt health professionals from taking into full and careful consideration the relevant official updated recommendations or guidelines issued by the competent public health authorities, in order to manage each patient's case in light of the scientifically accepted data pursuant to their respective ethical and professional obligations. It is also the health professional's responsibility to verify the applicable rules and regulations relating to drugs and medical devices at the time of prescription.

The ESC Guidelines represent the views of the ESC and were produced after careful consideration of the scientific and medical knowledge and the evidence available at the time of their publication. The ESC is not responsible in the event of any contradiction, discrepancy and/or ambiguity between the ESC Guidelines and any other official recommendations or guidelines issued by the relevant public health authorities, in particular in relation to good use of healthcare or therapeutic strategies. Health professionals are encouraged to take the ESC Guidelines fully into account when exercising their clinical judgment, as well as in the determination and the implementation of preventive, diagnostic or therapeutic medical strategies; however, the ESC Guidelines do not override, in any way whatsoever, the individual responsibility of health professionals to make appropriate and accurate decisions in consideration of each patient's health condition and in consultation with that patient and, where appropriate and/or necessary, the patient's caregiver. Nor do the ESC Guidelines exempt health professionals from taking into full and careful consideration the relevant official updated recommendations or guidelines issued by the competent public health authorities, in order to manage each patient's case in light of the scientifically accepted data pursuant to their respective ethical and professional obligations. It is also the health professional's responsibility to verify the applicable rules and regulations relating to drugs and medical devices at the time of prescription.

Among atrial tachyarrhythmias (AT), atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia. Many patients with AT have no symptoms during brief or even extended periods of the arrhythmia, making detection in patients at risk for stroke challenging. Subclinical atrial tachyarrhythmia and asymptomatic or silent atrial tachyarrhythmia often precede the development of clinical AF. Clinical AF and subclinical atrial fibrillation (SCAF) are associated with an increased risk of thromboembolism. Indeed, in many cases, SCAF is discovered only after complications such as ischaemic stroke or congestive heart failure have occurred

EHRA Scientific Committee Task Force: Bulent Gorenek, Antonio Pelliccia, Emelia J. Benjamin, Giuseppe Boriani, Harry J. Crijns, Richard I. Fogel, Isabelle C. Van Gelder, Martin Halle, Gulmira Kudaiberdieva, Deirdre A. Lane, Torben Bjerregaard Larsen, Gregory Y. H. Lip, Maja-Lisa Løchen, Francisco Marín, Josef Niebauer, Prashanthan Sanders, Lale Tokgozoglu, Marc A. Vos, and David R. VanWagoner

EHRA Scientific Committee Task Force: Bulent Gorenek, Antonio Pelliccia, Emelia J. Benjamin, Giuseppe Boriani, Harry J. Crijns, Richard I. Fogel, Isabelle C. Van Gelder, Martin Halle, Gulmira Kudaiberdieva, Deirdre A. Lane, Torben Bjerregaard Larsen, Gregory Y. H. Lip, Maja-Lisa Løchen, Francisco Marín, Josef Niebauer, Prashanthan Sanders, Lale Tokgozoglu, Marc A. Vos, and David R. VanWagoner