All patients with: |
• Mechanical prostheses |
• Chronic or intermittent atrial fibrillation in the presence of |
– native valve disease |
– bioprostheses |
– valve repair |
– valvuloplasty |
• Native valve disease and previous emboli |
• Mitral valve stenosis, independent of rhythm, with |
– high valve gradients |
– thrombus in left atrium |
– spontaneous echo contrast in left atrium |
– large left atrium > 50 mm |
– low cardiac output |
– congestive heart failure |