Atrial Fibrillation Report

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.

1. The pulmonary circuit is supplied by which ‘side” of the heart? The systemic circuit? The right atrium

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

In a normal human being the heart correctly functions by the blood first entering through the right atrium from the superior and inferior vena cava. This blood flow continues through the right atrioventricular valve into the right ventricle. The right ventricle contracts forcing the pulmonary valve to open leading blood flow through the pulmonary valve and into the pulmonary trunk. Blood is then distributed from the right and left pulmonary arteries to the lungs, where carbon dioxide is unloaded and oxygen is loaded into the blood. The blood is returned from the lungs to the left

4. left ventricle 5. superior vena cava 6. inferior vena cava 7. ascending aorta 8. aortic arch 9. brachiocephalic artery 10. left common carotid artery 11. left subclavian artery 12. pulmonary trunk 13. right pulmonary artery 14. left pulmonary artery 15. ligamentum arteriosum 16. right pulmonary veins 17. left pulmonary veins 18. right coronary artery 19. anterior cardiac vein t s w x v 20. left coronary artery 21. circumflex artery 22. anterior

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.

Right pulmonary artery has normal arborization, capillary and levophase. Except in the atelectatic area of the right upper lobe where the distal branches seem to be crowded as expected.

Most focal AF is initiated by premature beats from the orifices of the pulmonary veins or from the myocardial sleeves inside the PV’s, and radio frequency catheter ablation of triggered foci has been shown to cure AF. 14 Experts in catheter ablation have acknowledged that pulmonary vein isolation is the primary approach for patients with AF. It has been noted that pulmonary vein ostial ablation may result in pulmonary vein stenosis, which is why most conductors have discussed going away from the ostium and towards the antrum of the pulmonary vein.14 The antrum blends into the posterior wall of the left atrium and to be able to include most of the pulmonary vein, ablation must be performed around the entire antrum along the posterior left atrium wall.14 A recent meta analysis of 31 studies including 2,800 patients found that the single procedure success rate of pulmonary vein isolation of all types of AF without anti arrhythmic drugs was 57%.14 An analysis of 34 studies enrolling a total of 3,481 patients show that the success rate without anti arrhythmic drugs increased to 71% after multiple procedures.14 However, examining data from 6 pioneering centers with greater experience in AF ablation, the success rate without anti arrhythmic drugs was 81% in 1,039 patients followed up for a period of 6 months to 2.4 years.14 Recently, two 5 year follow up studies reported that single procedure success rates without

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

Echocardiography is the initial diagnostic modality for a patient with suspected congenital heart disease. In some patients, however, use of this modality is encumbered by its limited ability to delineate great arteries and intra cardiac anomalies, pulmonary veins, and coronary arteries. (7)

A two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiogram is a primary diagnostic procedure used to identify cases of restrictive cardiomyopathy. Bi-atrial enlargement is most commonly seen during a transthoracic echocardiogram. The left ventricle is often normal in size, but wall and septal thickness may be increased if infiltrative diseases are present. Ventricular walls are seen to be inflexible or stiff causing diastolic dysfunction. Valvar thickness may also be seen along with mitral and tricuspid regurgitation. The walls of the heart will have a ground glass appearance, better seen in the parasternal long axis during a transthoracic echocardiogram. Systolic function is generally well persevered while diastolic function is decreased. Ejection fraction

Atrial Septal Defect(ASD) is a very large problem concerning the heart in its overall function. When the heart, being the core of the cardiovascular system, has issues; it effects the rest of the body as a result. The core of the problem resides in the atrial septum. Normally the heart is divided into four separate chambers. But a person with atrial septal defect has an atrial septum that allows the blood from the left side of the heart back into the right side. This results in increased pulmonary blood flow and diastolic overload of the right ventricle. By having this constant left-to-right shunt, it can alter the pulmonary vascular resistance leading to hypertension or even the reversal of the shunt itself.

Home: Where the Heart Is – An outline and tour of the heart from Franklin Institute.

N.B. AV is based on the left side of the heart when you dig into the pulmonary veins!