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Background: To survey the unmet medical needs associated with atrium thrombus screening in Chinese patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who underwent transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for planned radio-frequency catheter ablation (RFCA). Methods: This cross-sectional survey study interviewed 300 patients who underwent their first TEE for planned RFCA. The surveyed information included patients' anxiety, oropharynx pain and discomfort, time expense, and patient satisfaction related to TEE examination. Patient preference for a new atrium thrombus screening technology, hospital length of stay (LOS) of RFCA, and hospital costs of RFCA in these surveyed patients were collected as well. Descriptive statistical methods were used to summarize the collected survey information. Results: Of the 300 interviewed patients, 36.3% reported anxiety before TEE examination, 58.6% reported oropharynx pain related to TEE, and 76.2% reported oropharynx discomforts, mainly including foreign body sensation (54.3%), dry heaves (33.8%), nausea (31.9%), and bleeding (22.9%). Even though 62.3% were satisfied with TEE, 84.3% preferred a new technology to replace TEE. Conducting outpatient TEE took more wait time (4.4 days vs. 0.1 days, p = 0.016) but led to significantly shorter hospital LOS (3.8 days vs. 6.4 days, p |
