Research Paper On Atrial Fibrillation

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.

Rate and rhythm control is the first priority of RAF management in this case study. During AF 10-15% of the atrial ‘kick’ is lost making it important factor to gain rate and rhythm regularity (Marriott 2014). Mr Fred was reviewed immediately by Medical officers and administered 1g (in total) of intravenous Digoxin and a 900mg Amiodarone Infusion. The digoxin increases the exchange of calcium and sodium in cells, improving contractility and reducing depolarisaition (Narzarko 2008). Amiodarone intervenes by increasing the effective refractory period and therefore suppressing the arrhythmia. (Narzarko 2008).

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

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.

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.

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 is the most frequent cardiac arrhythmia. There has always associated risk of clot formation and embolization that can lead to ischemic stroke. A large number of these ischemic events could be prevented by timely anticoagulation. Warfarin has been used for decades for this purpose, but there are many problems for the patients due to warfarin therapy like there is continuous need of INR monitoring, many food and drug interactions of the drug, late onset of action and risk of major bleeding. Anticoagulation with the Novel oral anticoagulants e.g. Dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, endoxaban led to similar or even lower rates of ischemic stroke and major bleeding compared to an adjusted dose of warfarin (INR 2-3) in patients

Other hemodynamic effects have also been reported with usage of ivabradine. In a study by Kurtoglu et al, ivabradine was seen to improve heart rate variability in non-ischemic patients with heart failure. (26). De Luca et al showed that addition of ivabradine to optimal medical therapy in patients with stable heart failure with preserved ejection fraction with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) > 50% and heart rate > 70 bpm, significantly improved physical performance by increasing exercise capacity (27). Another study in patients with stable ischemic heart failure, NYHA functional class II and LVEF ≤ 40%, confirmed these findings and additionally showed an improved gas exchange (with improvement

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

Prevalence, age distribution, and gender of patients with atrial fibrillation: analysis and implications. Arch Intern Med. 1995; 155:469-73.

There no direct cause as why to atrial fibrillation occur but, there is many other disease and disorders that Atrial Fibrillation is associated with. For example Atrial Fibrillation is closely associated with heart attack due to the fact that a during a heart attack the coronary artery is unable to supply oxygen to the heart which then causes the muscles in the heart to starve for oxygen. This can then lead to the death of some muscle tissue in the heart which then can lead to AFib. Hypertension also play a role in AFib, Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a constant high pressure of blood against the walls of the artery (arteries are the blood vessel that carry blood from the heart to our body parts) (A blood vessel is a tube which carries

Atrial fibrillation is the most commonly encountered arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm) in the United States, diagnosed in approximately 1% of the population or 2.5 million people (Nottingham, 2010). Atrial fibrillation has always been of interest during this author’s healthcare career. It is always out there, insidiously hiding, causes a multitude of symptoms and problems. This author remembers puzzling over the presentation of atrial fibrillation and it’s management. Identification is always the first challenge. Banner and Lauck (2013) cite Falk (2001) acknowledging the wide presentation of symptoms from asymptomatic to life threatening. Patient specific options can be confusing and challenging to navigate. Treatment algorithms include pharmacology, electrophysiological interventions, and surgery (Berry, Padgett, & Holton, 2015). This author believes, given the prevalence and consequences of mismanagement, the study of relevant evidence based practice in the treatment of atrial fibrillation is a worthy concentration. For many patients, nurses are the first point of contact in the healthcare system. This demands nursing leadership in the areas of identification, treatment and education for atrial fibrillation.

You have made a great observation that, in order for Ana to receive quality health care at this facility, she is in need of a nutritional assessment in how to incorporate the restriction that she is now faced with, in regards to her recent diagnosis of Atrial fibrillation. I would agree, Ana and her brother will need assistance in getting Medicaid approved, as well as, locating any additional programs that she may now qualify for. Thank for sharing.