-
- Posts
- 105
- Blog Entries
- 15
ECG: 09. Atrial fibrillation - with Video
Atrial fibrillation is one of the commonest arrhythmias seen in a medical ward, probably second only to ectopics.
Here is how it looks like on a cardiac monitor:
In atrial fibrillation,- there is an irregularly irregular ventricular rhythm. Sometimes it may appear regular on a brief look, but on close inspection it will be clearly irregular.
- P waves will be absent (replaced by "f" waves - f for fibrillation, as opposed to "F" waves in atrial flutter).
- Generally there a rapid ventricular rate (unless the patient is being treated with rate-control medications like beta blockers or digoxin).
Dilemma in therapy:
Rate-control or Rhythm control?
In fact, this is the first question to be answered in the therapy of atrial fibrillation. Should we control the rate or the rhythm?
In acute onset atrial fibrillation with no structural cardiac pathology, rhythm control may be preferred. However, most patients have a structural pathology like rheumatic heart disease or significantly dilated left (or right) atrium, making rhythm control almost impossible.
Therefore chronic atrial fibrillation and AF with structural cardiac pathology are treated with 'rate-control'.Last edited by Shashikiran; March 21st, 2009 at 02:40 PM.
Related Posts
-
ECG: 12. Ventricular Fibrillation - with Video
By Shashikiran in forum ECG VideosReplies: 0Last Post: March 21st, 2009, 02:45 PM -
ECG: 02. Ectopic Beats - Atrial - with Video
By Shashikiran in forum ECG VideosReplies: 0Last Post: March 21st, 2009, 02:08 PM -
Management of Atrial Fibrillation
By SURIAN in forum Cardiovascular diseasesReplies: 3Last Post: August 13th, 2007, 02:37 PM -
ECG: 08. Atrial flutter - with Video
By Shashikiran in forum ECG VideosReplies: 0Last Post: August 9th, 2007, 05:30 PM -
Atrial Fibrillation
By Dayani in forum Cardiovascular diseasesReplies: 0Last Post: August 6th, 2007, 01:33 PM


Quote
