Atrial fibrillation is a condition that the heart beat irregularly and often rapidly. Normally, a sinoatrial node (SA node) in the right atrium of the heart acts as the heart’s natural pacemaker and generates electrical signals to start the heart beating in an organized way. It allows atria to contract and squeeze regularly traveling the electrical signals through the atrioventricular node (AV node) which is situated in the centre of the heart between the atria and ventricles, the electrical signals then steadily pass through to the ventricles keeping the heart beating constantly and blood flowing to the lungs and body. This impulse allows the atria and ventricles work together to maintain a normal sinus rhythm of the heartbeat. In AF, the
Early doctors were researching arrhythmia in heart beat as a result of unknown abnormal neuro-cardio mechanisms of the heart, one of theories was that SA and AV nodes were interfering with each other’s bio-electrical impulses another theory was that the right side of the septum was hypersensitive to electrical impulse, all were more else on the right track because we know now that SVT is a result of a faulty electrical connections of the heart.
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
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.
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
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
of atria and ventricle. Impulses not being transmitted from atria to the ventricle; no whole number relationship between atrial and ventricular contractions was demonstrated.
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.
QT interval, measured from the surface of electrocardiogram (ECG) denotes the time required for the electrical depolarization and repolarization of the ventricles. QT measure is commonly used in clinical setting to describe cardiac abnormalities and to detect drug safety 1. Several studies underline that QT interval duration is a predictor of the occurrence of cardiovascular events and his prolongation carries an increase in the risk of cardiovascular death and sudden death also after adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk factors2, 3.
This allows your cardiovascular centres in your brain a little bit more latitude as far as controlling your heart rate. If you were to remove a beating heart from someone's body you would find that the heart is no longer being suppressed by the parasympathetic nervous system and it will accelerate to the same pace as the sinoatrial node. The SA node generates action potentials approximately 100 times per minute due to the physiology of the heart, its own permeability to sodium and calcium via its channels, and a host of other things. Anywhere between 80 to 100 beats per minute is normal for the SA node.
If You Are Suffering from Tachycardia or Some Type of Arrhythmia Solve These Problems within a Minute without Any Medications