Atrial Fibrillation

At 1130 a second antiarrhythmic drug, Amiodarone 150mg, was administered via intravenous infusion. Its action is unknown however is thought to prolong the action potential duration (Siddoway, 2003). Similar to the Sotolol no effect was noted with the rate or rhythm. The patients blood pressure remained low, 96/67 and heart rate fluctuating between 100-130 beats per minute. The patient was asymptomatic with his blood pressure but remained sweaty and lethargic. He received further intravenous fluids whilst the medical officer discussed his presentation with the cardiology team.

Most physicians and people who acquired the problem usually know it as A-FIB, a shorter term for atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation deals with the cardiovascular system, in particular, the heart in the body. It is defined as, “the electrical signals that control this system are off-kilter. Instead of working together the atria do their own thing, causing fast fluttering heartbeat, also known as arrhythmia” (WEBMD). In a normal pumping blood of the heart the atria would squeeze first, followed by the ventricles of the heart. A-fib can be a serious issue if not treated, due to the inadequate pumping of the blood, causing a higher chance of heart failure. It is also a higher chance in getting a stroke, because improper flow of the blood can cause clots in the

Heart failure affects nearly 6 million Americans. It is the leading cause of hospitalization in people older than 65. Roughly 550,000 people are diagnosed with heart failure each year (Emory Healthcare, 2014). Heart failure is a pathologic state where the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the demand of the body’s metabolic needs or when the ventricle’s ability to fill is impaired. It is not a disease, but rather a complex clinical syndrome. The symptoms of heart failure come from pulmonary vascular congestion and inadequate perfusion of the systemic circulation. Individuals experience orthopnea,

Ivabradine has captured the attention of scientists and has opened up new possibilities for the treatment of stable angina and chronic heart failure. Ivabradine is being developed as an anti-angina drug in patients with stable coronary artery disease and was found to reduce heart rate by selectively inhibiting the pacemaker (If) current in the sinoatrial node (Jedlickova et al., 2015). Recent studies have noted how the reduction of heart rate caused by ivabradine has broader implications on heart health, and also how ivabradine can potentially improve cardiovascular disease (CVD) by mechanisms other than heart rate reduction. Studies have also looked at using ivabradine in more than just treating stable chronic angina, but also in other types of CVD and even chest pains. O 'Connor et al., (2016) examined the effects of ivabradine following myocardial infarction in mice and Jedlickova et al., (2015) through studying ivabradine used as an angina treatment in humans, looked at the effects of ivabradine on endothelial function. These studies have highlighted how ivabradine may not only be beneficial as a treatment via heart rate reduction, but also through pleiotropic mechanisms (Heusch and Kleinbongard, 2016). Ivabradine is an important area of research because it can be useful in more than one context.

What is atrial fibrillation? Atrial fibrillation, also known as afib, is an irregular heartbeat that produces disorganized electrical signals within the heart. This results in quivering of the atria, or top chambers of the heart which allows blood to pool. Stagnant blood in the atria increases the risk of developing a blood clot.1 The blood clot can enter the bloodstream and travel to the brain resulting in a stroke. Atrial fibrillation is associated with a 5 times increased risk for stroke, and approximately 15-20 percent of people who experience a stroke have atrial fibrillation.2 Symptoms of atrial fibrillation are heart palpitations, shortness of breath, weakness, chest pain, dizziness, nausea, and fatigue.1(p6) The incidence of afib increases

Cardiac dysrhythmias come in different degrees of severity. There are heart conditions that you are able to live with and manage on a daily basis and those that require immediate attention. Atrial Fibrillation is one of the more frequently seen types of dysrhythmias (NIH, 2011). The best way to diagnosis a heart condition is by reading a cardiac strip (Ignatavicius &Workman, 2013). Cardiac strips play an chief part in the nursing world allowing the nurse and other trained medical professionals to interpret what the heart is doing. In a normal strip, one can clearly identify a P wave before every QRS complex, which is then followed by a T wave; in Atrial Fibrillation, the Sinoatrial node fires irregularly causing there to be no clear P

When one begins to discuss issues that arise with an intrinsic organ, things get serious. Unfortunately, vital organs like the heart and liver that are causing problems can’t be removed like the appendix or the kidney and “cure” people of issues such as Appendicitis or constant dealings with gallstones. This is true when things begin to go awry within the heart and conditions begin to arise. Atrial Fibrillation (A-fib) is the most common type of arrhythmia, or issue with the heart rate or rhythm. Though A-fib is not a condition that is life-threatening, depending on the severity and lack of treatment, this condition leads to more serious issues like heart disease, and even heart attacks and strokes, which are usually what end up being the cause of death in individuals diagnosed with the condition. Because of A-fib leading to other more detrimental problems, such as the ones listed above, it is difficult to identify and pinpoint if someone has it or had it, which is why it is known as one of the contributors to the “silent killer,” also known as the heart attack. In this paper, gaining a deeper understanding of Atrial Fibrillation will be accomplished through the exploration of: causes, diagnosis, symptoms and treatment, the variation of types, what all is affected within the body as a result, what happens physically, and what occurs at the cellular level when diagnosed with this disorder. All in all, Atrial Fibrillation should be taken seriously and further research is

For years health care providers have been using drugs like beta blockers or ACE inhibitors to treat patients with heart failure, but with cardiovascular disease still being a leading cause of death, it is evident that current treatments have been lacking the ability to produce adequate results. However, with the newest heart failure drug on the market a positive change has finally come for heart failure patients. The new heart failure drug reigns far more superior when compared to the treatments healthcare professionals already use and can potentially alter the foundation of heart failure treatments altogether.

Atrial fibrillation can cause significant discomfort (particularly if one has a lot of symptoms) and this may reduce one’s ability to exercise and do daily activities which may affect one’s life. Alternative, atrial fibrillation may not affect one’s day-to-day life. Atrial fibrillation is associated with a decrease in the heart’s ability to pump blood (it can result in the development of heart failure), which can affect one’s quality of life, increase the likelihood of being admitted to hospital and reduce one’s life expectancy. Atrial fibrillation itself does not pose a direct and immediate risk of death and many patients live with the arrhythmia for decades. However, atrial fibrillation can lead to serious complications. These possible complications

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is defined as an irregular heartbeat, often of a rapid rate, that causes insufficient blood flow to the body. During atrial fibrillation, the upper chambers of the heart (atria) beat chaotically and out of synchronization with the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles). Atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained arrhythmia, affecting more than 2 million people in the United States, with an estimated 150,000 new cases being diagnosed each year (Shea and Sears, 2008). The Chronic Illness Trajectory Framework, developed by Corbin and Strauss, focuses on the patient living with atrial fibrillation and the ability to manage the course of the illness based on

I would like to express many thanks for my advisor Daryl Sieg for all of the support. I would also like to thank Dr. Klug for her guidance in the statistical aspect of this paper. Thank you to Allison Frank at the coagulation clinic in Fargo for taking the time to discuss my paper with me. Her view on these medications was very beneficial.

An EKG would be the first test completed on Mrs. Lee; evaluating her cardiac rhythm and rate. The symptoms described by Mrs. Lee suggests atrial fibrillation. To determine atrial fibrillation via EKG we would be looking for an irregular rhythm, a very fast rate, absent p-waves, an absent PR interval and an either normal or widened QRS (Heart and Stroke, 2017).

Today millions of Americans live or have lived with Atrial fibrillation. The main concern with this health issue is that many people who lived with it sometimes are not aware of it. Atrial fibrillation is defined by Mayo Clinic (2012) as “an irregular and often rapid heart rate that commonly causes poor blood flow to the body”. It occurs when the four chambers of the heart have a disrupted rhythm. The abnormal functionality of health may lead to a stroke because of the possible blood clot that will be formed. The Atrial fibrillation or Afib put the body in a situation without oxygen and nutrients because the body is not well supplied by a heart that is became weak. In general, only few people will feel change in their heartbeat. They may verbalize

The wave spreads through the atria before reaching the atrioventricular node, or AV node, located just above the right ventricle. The AV node focuses the wave into the ventricles, contracting the ventricles. Should the SA node fail, the AV node can take over as the primary pacemaker at a rate of forty to sixty beats per minute.

In addition, scientists have found that genetics also plays a role in cardiac arrhythmias and that in some cases patients have commented that they had no symptoms before they succumbed to some form of episode of cardiac distress, like a sudden heart attack. This has proven to be standard for many different forms of arrhythmias, whether it’s due to genetics or not. One such case is the long QT syndrome (LQTS) which is estimated to affect one in every 5000 people and is recognized as a family disorder, frequent in children during their childhood years (Wilde, and Bezzina 1352–1358.) Patients with this disorder can have symptoms of a fluttering heartbeat, shortness of breath, and chest pain, while other patients might not experience any symptoms at all (Wilde, and Bezzina 1352–1358.) Another known disorder is cardiac conduction disease, which is mostly due to some form of cardiac injury (Wilde, and Bezzina 1352–1358.) Symptoms for this