Atrial Fibrillation Case Study

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.

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

Coumadin (non specific name: warfarin) is an anticoagulant, or blood diminishing drug, that is endorsed to numerous patients who are at danger for creating blood clusters that could bring about heart assaults or strokes. Warfarin is near the most astounding purpose recently and simultaneous investigations of medications that provoke ER visits and occurring an expansion in healing center based offices with the affirmation of patients. Anticoagulation treatment stances perils to patients and over and over prompts unfavorable solution events in light of complex dosing, fundamental ensuing watching, and clashing patient consistence. As a result, various patients who meet current evidence based principles for warfarin treatment are not being managed

Annie Coffey is a 72 year old woman that has developed a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) due to reduced mobility while on bed rest. This assignment will discuss the signs, symptoms, prevention and management of a DVT and the use of warfarin as long term treatment. The assignment will explain what a DVT is and discuss its potential implications. The nurse’s role in the prevention of DVTs will be discussed in detail as well as the nursing management of Annie. The importance of patient education will be highlighted throughout the assignment and important discharge advice while on warfarin will be explained.

- Coagulation inhibitors and Fibrinolysis : to Localize thrombus on injury and Prevent new thrombus formation.

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

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a cardiac arrhythmia. It is the most common arrhythmia and it has implications for patients and anaesthetists alike. The anaesthetist must take into consideration the physiological and pharmacological implications of this common arrhythmia.

There are many people that suffer from venous thromboembolism. Venous thromboembolism includes both deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. This is the third most common cause of vascular death after a myocardial infarction, also known as a heart attack, and stroke. This article examines the possibility of either full or low intensity anticoagulation therapy versus aspirin. This was a randomized study that consisted of 3,396 individuals who have venous thromboembolism. These individuals either received rivaroxaban, which is an anticoagulant, or 100 mg of aspirin once a day. The individuals in this study completed 6-12 months of anticoagulation therapy and were eligible for inclusion in the study if they were 18 years of age or older. The

There are many different medications that can be taken to help prevent a stroke or that can be taken after a stroke. I work in a pharmacy and see hundreds of medication prescribed daily to prevent or help with symptoms that could all lead to stroke. I myself take a blood pressure medication called propranolol. Propranolol is a beta blocker that treats high blood pressure, chest pain, migraine headaches and tremors. Blood thinner medications can be given to people who have been diagnosed with blood clots. That medication thins the blood and helps prevent clots from forming. If a blood clot goes unnoticed it can reach the lung or brain and end in a fatality. A medicine called tissue plasminogen activator can break up blood clots in the arteries of the brain, however it has to be injected within 4 hours of symptoms start time to work (National Institutes of Health, 2014). Often the long list of side effects for medication can be overwhelming and seem worse than the actual cause for taking the medication in the first place. Some side effects of the drug warfarin used to treat existing and new blood clots are blurred vision, confusion, nausea, vomiting and muscle

Atrial fibrillation is an important side effect with ivabradine with a recent meta-analysis showing a 15% increase in its incidence with the use of Ivabradine (37). Another combined analysis of SHIFT trial and BEAUTIFUL study reported an increase in atrial fibrillation incidence in this population with a number needed to harm of 58 (38). A proposed mechanism of Ivabradine leading to atrial fibrillation is genetic polymorphisms in HCN4 receptors causing an enhanced effect of ivabradine (39). As mentioned above, HCN4 receptors are found not only in the SA node but also AV node and individuals with genetic polymorphisms of HCN4 can have significant inhibition of the two primary pacemakers tissues of the heart. This provides substrate for atrial tissue to discharge and convert rhythm into atrial fibrillation.

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 the most common type of heart arrhythmia and often called AFib or AF. It is defined as the irregular rhythm of the heartbeat. During AFib, the heart can beat too fast or too slow. This irregular heartbeat can lead to stroke or other heart-related complications.

This stagnant blood forms clots that break off and inter the circulation. Atrial Fibrillation is a factor in about 15% of Embolism stroke.The risk of a stroke from atrial fibrillation can be dramatically reduced with daily use of anticoagulant medication.

Thrombolytic medications are approved for the immediate treatment of stroke and heart attack. The most commonly used drug for thrombolytic therapy is tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), but other drugs can do the same thing.

Disseminated Intervascular Coagulation (DIC) is a clinicopathologic syndrome characterized by widespread intravascular fibrin formation in response to excessive blood protease activity that overcomes the natural anticoagulant mechanisms (Harrison, T. 1974).The mechanism of DIC is a generation of thrombin that is uncontrolled from exposure of blood to levels of tissue factors pathologically. Two factors that add to the deposition of fibrin in small and midsize vessels and also speed up the process are, simultaneous suppression of physiologic anticoagulant mechanisms and abnormal fibrinolysis (Harrison, T. 1974). Fibrin deposition can interfere with the blood supply of many major organs such as the lung, kidney, liver, and brain, all causing