East Atlanta Cardiology - Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial Fibrillation

What is Atrial Fibrillation?

Atrial Fibrillation is an abnormal cardiac rhythm that is diagnosed through an EKG. The hearts upper chambers (the atrium) quiver instead of beating while the bottom chambers (the ventricles) beat erratically and usually very fast.

What is the risk with Atrial Fibrillation?

The biggest risk with Atrial Fibrillation is the possibility of developing a blood clot. The blood can pool in the Atrium giving it time to form blood clots. If the clot is expelled from the heart, it can lodge in the brain causing a stroke or the heart causing a heart attack. Another risk is the heart beating dangerously fast.

How is it treated?

Atrial Fibrillation is treated in several ways:
Medication: Medications that slow the heart rate include beta blockers (Toprol, Atenolol, Metoprolol, and Propranolol), Amiodarone, Sotolol, digoxin, calcium antagonists (diltiazem, verapamil, Cardizem) propafenone, procainamide, etc. Some of these drugs can not only slow the heart rate, but they can assist the heart it going back into a normal rhythm. Warfarin is given to help prevent blood clots.

Electrical Cardioversion: If medications do not help the heart, an electric shock can be given to the heart to help restore normal rhythm. In cases where the heart is beating extremely fast and the patient is in danger, this may be the first option.

Ablation: Ablation is a surgical procedure in which small tubes are sent through the blood vessels into the muscle of the heart in the exact location that is causing the problem. It gives bursts of radiofrequency energy that destroys tissue that gives the signals for the heart to beat in this pattern. This is often used for chronic patients who remain symptomatic with Atrial Fibrillation.

Atrial Pacemaker: these can be implanted under the skin over the heart that help regulate the hearts electrical activity.

What are the symptoms?

The most common symptom is the feeling of palpitations, or an acute awareness of the heart beating fast and/or erratically. You may feel short of breath, dizzy or exhausted. If a blood clot develops, it can lead to stroke or heart attack. Some patients never realize they go into this rhythm and others can tell immediately.

For more information, visit the American Heart Association at http://www.americanheart.org.

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