Atrial fibrillation is a type of heart rhythm disorder called an ‘arrhythmia’. Atrial fibrillation is a condition that occurs when there is a fault in the electric activity in the heart muscle, causing the heart to beat irregularly and in an uncoordinated way.
The heart is divided into four chambers. The top two chambers are the atria and the bottom two chambers are the ventricles. Two of the chambers, together make up the right heart and pump blood to your lungs, where it picks up oxygen. Blood that is carrying oxygen then travels to the two chambers on the left side of your heart, which then pumps the blood to the rest of your body. The ventricles (the bottom chambers) are powerful pumping chambers, which push the blood out of the heart when they contract. The smaller and less powerful top chambers of the heart (the atria), help to fill the ventricles with blood for the next contraction. The regulation and coordinated pumping action of the heart is provided by a network of electrical connections, which deliver electrical signals to the heart
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Instead of just the sinus node firing, other parts of the atria begin to send electrical signals. However, these signals are not as regular as coordinated as the signals from the sinus node and this leads to the atria (top chambers of the heart) not contracting properly and the ventricles (bottom chambers of the heart) beating irregularly. Depending on how many electric impulses reach the ventricles, the heart beat could be slow or fast, but it tends to be very fast in atrial fibrillation. For example, in a person without atrial fibrillation at rest, the normal sinus node generates approximately 60 to 90 beats per minute. In a person with atrial fibrillation, the atria generate about 600 impulses per minute, but usually only 80 to 120 of them will reach the ventricles and will make it
Arrhythmias are irregular rhythms of the heartbeat which can be fast paced or slow paced.
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.
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.
Atrial flutter is when the heartbeat is fast but regular. There are two types of atrial flutter:
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
“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
The four chambers of the heart normally beat regularly, with the two uppermost chambers beating first, followed by the lower two chambers. The beats begins with the signal from an electrical impulse in the right atrium. During afib heart disease, the impulses don't travel through the heart in a regular fashion. Impulses fire rapidly, sometimes as fast as 300 to 600 beats per minute. The atrioventricular node limits these pulses, resulting in an afib heart rate that is 150 beats per minute or less.
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
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
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
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 heart is one of the most important organs in an organism’s body, no matter if they are aquatic, amphibian, or a mammal. This super organ works automatically, able to pump massive amounts of oxygen rich blood through the body by means of electrical impulses and the opening and closing of valves within its many layers. It is what keeps us and every other creature on this earth alive; so it is only natural for one to fear when there might be a problem with one’s heart. A cardiac arrhythmia can happen to anyone, no matter the age, race, or gender, and as such, doctors and scientist have spent years trying to better understand the heart and the way it functions so that they can try to prevent these problems and save millions of lives.
First degree atrioventricular block is a type of heart block. The heartbeat is a coordinated contraction between the upper and lower chambers of the heart. This coordinated contraction happens because of an electrical impulse that is sent from the upper chambers of the heart to the lower chambers of the heart. The electrical impulse causes the heart to beat and pump blood. Normally, this electrical impulse is transmitted without delay. A first degree heart block is a slight delay of this electrical impulse transmission from the upper chambers of the heart to the lower chambers of the heart.
In a healthy heart, the sinoatrial node sends an electrical impulse through the atria to contract and pump blood into the ventricles. During atrial fibrillation the normal function of the heart is disrupted. It starts with a chaotic electrical discharge in the atria of the heart, which then causes an irregular, rapid atrial contraction – which leads to rapid ventricular conduction in the AV node. Diseases that damage the heart or abnormalities of the heart’s structure are the most common cause of atrial fibrillation.
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