PRISMA 2009 Flow Diagram

MEDLINE search Embase combined Cochrane Library:

combined stroke stroke AND atrial combined stroke AND
AND atrial fibrillation AND atrial fibrillation AND
fibrillation AND warfarin AND warfarin AND
Identifcation warfarin AND antithrombins AND anticoagulants (n = 256)
anticoagulants factor Xa inhibitors

Limited search by: humans, English Limited search: papers

language, papers from 2000-current and from 2000 current and
randomised control trials trials
(n = 308) (n= 80)
Screening

Records excluded due

Records screened
to title
(n = 388)
(n = 315)

Abstracts assessed Articles excluded

for eligibility based on abstract (n
Eligibility (n = 73) = 36)

Full-text articles Full text unavailable

screened (n= 6)
(n = 37) Not an RCT (n= 9)
Dose finding studies
(n=4)

Included
Full text articles to
be included in the
review after
duplicates removed
(n = 9)

From: Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG, The PRISMA Group (2009). Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-
Analyses: The PRISMA Statement. PLoS Med 6(7): e1000097. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed1000097

For more information, visit www.prisma-statement.org.