Atrial Fibrillation: Arrhythmia

This case study discusses the management of a 68 year old male who presented with chest palpitations secondary to rapid atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is a common cardiac arrhythmia with serious complications if not treated correctly. This essay will discuss the initial clinical presentation of the patient and examine the management and outcome of the interventions applied. The significance of atrial fibrillation including its pathophysiology and aetiology will also be discussed.

“Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome is associated with some forms of congenital heart disease, such as Ebstein's anomaly.” (Mayo Clinic Staff). The heart is made up of four chambers. The two upper chambers known as the atria, and the two lower chambers known as the ventricles. The rhythm of your heart is controlled by the sinus node. The sinus node is almost like a natural pacemaker which is located in the atrium. The sinus node gives off electrical impulses that start every heartbeat. “Electrical impulses travel across the atria causing the atria muscles to contract and pump blood in the ventricles.” (Mayo Clinic Staff). The electrical impulses eventually arrive at a cluster of cells known as the atrioventricular node or the AV node. The AV node slows down the signal before sending it to the ventricles. By this delay, it allows the ventricles to fill with blood causing the electrical impulses to reach the muscles of the ventricles so they can contract and pump blood to the lungs and the rest of the body. When a person has WPW syndrome an extra electrical pathway connects the atria and the ventricles. This means that an electrical signal can bypass the AV node. When the impulses use this alternative route through the heart, the ventricles are activated to early. Looped electrical impulses and disorganized electrical impulses are two major types of rhythm disturbances. A looped electrical impulse is when electrical

Arrhythmias are irregular rhythms of the heartbeat which can be fast paced or slow paced.

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

Atrial flutter is when the heartbeat is fast but regular. There are two types of atrial flutter:

Atril fibrillation, also known as Afib, causes problems with the heart's electrical impulse system resulting in an Afib irregular heartbeat. The most common type of heartbeat problem, Afib affects 2.2 million people in the United States.

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

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

Atrial fibrillation is a supraventricular tachyarrhythmia which results in very disorganized contractions of the atria. This disorganization can also be seen has electrical impulses that are fast, and chaotic. This prevents the atria from contracting or pumping blood into the ventricles. When applying what I

The electrical system controls the rhythm of the heart and the heart rate. A problem with the hearts electrical system affecting the transfer of signals from the SA node to the AV node and then the ventricles leads to what is called a heart block. A disruption in the electrical rhythm from the SA node is regarded as an SA node block while disruptions below the AV node are classified under the AV block which is then further divided into sub-groups depending on the level disruption. In some cases, people are born with this condition and are said to have congenital heart block whereas those that get it through e.g. open heart surgery are said to have acquired heart block. Heart block can be classified as an arrhythmia which is a

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an irregular and rapid heart rate that disrupts normal blood flow from atria to ventiricles and ultimately to the rest of the body. In AF, the hearts upper champers beat irregularly which might lead to the formation of blood clots and ischemia(1). AF is one of the most common cause of population mortality and morbidity with an estimated prevalence of about 1-2% in the developed world. The incidence and prevalence increases parallel to age reaching up to 10% over the age of 80 (2-4). AF prevalence in Australia seems to be similar with the rest of the world, affecting more than 300,000 as per 2011 reports. Additional studies in Australia have indicated that the trend of hospitalization due to

An dysrhythmia of the heart is an irregular heartbeat rhythm. Ventricular tachycardia is an dysrhythmia in which the lower chambers of the heart, the ventricles, beat unusually fast.

A recent study shows 1:4 American adults over the age of 40 are at risk of developing an abnormal heart rhythm (www.myvmc.com). Once an arrhythmia has been diagnosed an antiarrhythmic agent can be prescribed. It is important that when taking an antiarrhythmic medication, directions or how it should be taken is followed precisely. As long as the antiarrhythmic agent is taken as prescribed, they will help prevent further complication, such as heart attacks and heart

The hearts electrical system is what controls the speed and pace of the heartbeat (NHLBI,NIH). Sinoatrial node or SA node is located in the right atrium and controls the rhythm of the heart. The SA node is cardiac muscle cells, and it acts as a pacemaker. Sinus rhythm is the regular heart rhythm (Scholarpedia). Atrial tachycardia is when the heart beats too fast. On the other hand, bradycardia is when the heart beats too slowly. The heart can also beat irregularly (Hopkinsmedicine). The electrical signal goes from the SA node to the left and right atria. This allows the atria to pump and contract blood to the ventricles. Then, the signal goes to the atrioventricular or AV node. The electrical signal slows down here, so the ventricles have time to fill themselves with blood. After the AV node, the electrical signal goes to the bundle of His, where the signal is eventually transported to the ventricles. In this phase, the signal causes the ventricles to contract and pump blood to the lungs and the other parts of the body (NHLBI, NIH). The reason I described this whole process was for the reader to

Premature atrial contractions are early additional beats that start in the atria and are usually innocuous and usually don’t require medical attention. Premature ventricular contractions are one of the most prevailing arrhythmia where the heart will skip a beat due to stress, caffeine overindulgence, or excessive exercise. Some people who have frequent contractions should seek medical attention, but if it is irregular it is usually harmless. Atrial fibrillation is quite frequent which causes the atria to contract out of rhythm. Atrial flutter is a more organized version of atrial fibrillation where it’s caused by one or many rapid circuits in the atria. Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia originates above the ventricle and is known as a rapid heart rate. Accessory pathway tachycardias are a form of rapid heart rate that is due to extra passageway between the ventricles and atria. AV nodal reentrant tachycardia is another form of rapid heart rate that is caused through more than one passageway. These can both be treated with special therapy or medication. Ventricular tachycardia is a hasty heartbeat that begins in the ventricle section of the heart. This hasty beat prevents the heart from attaining the right amount of blood to fill up, thus causing the body to receive much less blood than usual. Ventricular fibrillations are inconsistent impulses from the ventricles