| Atrial Fibrillation is a common cardiac arrhythmia. | | | | to treat the atrial fibrillation. |
| Normally the top part of the heart, the atria, which | | | | When atrial fibrillation is first observed it can sometimes |
| serve as the receiving pumps of the heart, contract | | | | be converted back to normal sinus rhythm with |
| and squeeze the blood down into the ventricles before | | | | medications or a cardioversion with external shocks. |
| the atrio-ventricular valves shut and the ventricles | | | | There are some pharmaceuticals that, taken regularly, |
| pump the blood out of the heart and into the lungs and | | | | can help to prevent atrial fibrillation from reoccurring. If |
| body. The contraction is caused by electrical activity in | | | | atrial fibrillation becomes a chronic condition that cannot |
| the muscle of the heart. It originates in one area and | | | | be alleviated by these treatments, steps are taken to |
| uniformly spreads throughout the walls of the heart | | | | help make the condition easier and safer to live with. |
| creating an even and effective contraction. If the | | | | Atrial fibrillation clients should be treated with blood |
| electrical activity becomes chaotic the atrial walls | | | | thinner unless there is a contraindication present, such |
| simply twitch randomly, producing a resemblance to a | | | | as bleeding ulcers or a history of stroke. The atrium |
| bag of worms. Because the main natural pacemaker | | | | now is unable to clear the out blood with each stroke |
| of the heart lies within the atrial walls, the rhythm will | | | | and therefore the blood pools and poses a hazard for |
| now be totally irregular. | | | | forming blood clots. Should a blood clot form, it could |
| This can be a transient or a chronic condition. While | | | | easily travel to the lungs, causing a pulmonary |
| some people have no symptoms, many will | | | | embolism, or to the brain, causing a stroke; each |
| experience palpitations: the sensation of feeling their | | | | causing a potentially debilitating, even fatal situation. |
| heart pounding. Due to a loss of the atrial contraction | | | | It is necessary to keep the heart rate from racing as |
| to help fill the ventricles before they contract there is | | | | this can also cause lowered cardiac output due to less |
| an approximate loss of 10% cardiac output, the | | | | filling time for each stroke. This can be achieved by |
| amount of blood pumped out of the heart. This can | | | | either pharmaceuticals or and ablation. An ablation will |
| also cause symptoms of weakness and fatigue. Since | | | | be completed by an electrophysiology cardiologist in a |
| the rhythm is now irregular it can be bradycardic or | | | | hospital cardiac catheterization Laboratory. During the |
| slow, below 60 beats per minute, or tachycardic or | | | | procedure the cells or pathways causing the fast |
| fast, greater than 100 beats per minute. It can also | | | | heart rate are identified and destroyed. Occasionally a |
| alternate between slow and fast abruptly. | | | | pacemaker will now be necessary to keep the heart |
| Diagnoses of this and most arrhythmias are achieved | | | | rate from going to slow. |
| by monitoring the heart rhythm. This can be done with | | | | So, although atrial fibrillation is common it is also to be |
| 12 lead electrocardiograph (EKG), in-hospital telemetry, | | | | treated with serious consideration. Many people live |
| ambulatory 24 hour holter monitoring or 30 day event | | | | normal lives while in atrial fibrillation once the symptoms |
| monitoring. This will provide the documentation needed | | | | are alleviated and the risks are minimized. |