AF Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the AF exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📚 AF Topics to Study (69)
✍️ Sample AF Questions & Answers
1. Which score is used to assess bleeding risk before initiating anticoagulation in AF patients?
The HAS-BLED score estimates annual bleeding risk in anticoagulated AF patients by scoring hypertension, renal/liver dysfunction, stroke history, bleeding history, labile INR, elderly age, and drug/alcohol use.
2. According to ACC/AHA guidelines, which of the following is a Class I indication for rhythm control strategy in AF?
Symptomatic AF in which rate control fails to relieve symptoms is a Class I indication for pursuing rhythm control to improve quality of life.
3. A patient with AF and end-stage renal disease (eGFR < 15) requires anticoagulation. Which agent requires the most caution or dose adjustment?
Dabigatran is 80% renally eliminated and is contraindicated in severe renal impairment (CrCl < 15–30 mL/min), making it the highest risk agent in this setting.
4. In uncomplicated atrial fibrillation, the QRS complex width is typically:
Without an aberrant conduction pathway or bundle branch block, ventricular depolarization follows normal pathways in AF, producing a narrow QRS.
5. Which anatomical consideration is most important when performing procedures near joints?
Awareness of ligaments, tendons, and neurovascular structures near joints is essential to prevent damage to these critical structures during procedures.
6. Which electrical abnormality contributes to the persistence of AF?
Reentrant electrical circuits are a key electrical abnormality that contributes to the persistence of atrial fibrillation. These circuits involve electrical impulses continuously looping back on themselves within the atrial tissue, creating multiple, chaotic wavefronts of activation. This prevents organized atrial contraction and sustains the rapid, irregular rhythm characteristic of AF.