There has been a [subtle?] push [from the pharmaceutical companies?] to encourage clinicians to consider screening for atrial fibrillation.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has currently no recommendations [pro or con] on screening for atrial fibrillation. They do have a guideline in progress: Atrial Fibrillation: Screening With Electrocardiography.
Until the USPTF makes a recommendation on this topic, I will not screen for atrial fibrillation [patients who are asymptomatic].
I will continue to actively look for atrial fibrillation in patients who have symptoms that could be due to atrial fibrillation [for example, potentially emergency warning symptoms such as transient ischemic attack].
