Is atrial fibrillation a clinical emergency?
Is atrial fibrillation a clinical emergency?
Although atrial fibrillation itself usually isn’t life-threatening, it is a serious medical condition that sometimes requires emergency treatment. A major concern with atrial fibrillation is the potential to develop blood clots within the upper chambers of the heart.
How is the diagnosis and treatment of atrial fibrillation?
Diagnosis and Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is associated with a fivefold increased risk of stroke, 3–5 and it is the most common arrhythmia. It worsens heart failure and increases mortality in patients with myocardial infarction, and is an independent risk factor for death.
How does atrial fibrillation affect the risk of stroke?
Atrial fibrillation is associated with a fivefold increased risk of stroke, 3–5 and it is the most common arrhythmia. It worsens heart failure and increases mortality in patients with myocardial infarction, and is an independent risk factor for death.
What to do if your doctor thinks you have AFIB?
If your doctor thinks you have it, the first thing he’ll do is listen to your heart. He may be able to hear your irregular heartbeat with a stethoscope. If not, he may ask for tests to confirm the diagnosis, find out what’s causing it, and figure out the best way to treat it.
What should the resting heart rate be for atrial fibrillation?
The target resting heart rate should be less than 110 beats per minute. Atrial ventricular nodal ablation is recommended for patients refractory to medical therapy, usually older patients needing a pacemaker. The CHADS 2 or CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score is recommended in the assessment of stroke risk.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is associated with a fivefold increased risk of stroke, 3–5 and it is the most common arrhythmia. It worsens heart failure and increases mortality in patients with myocardial infarction, and is an independent risk factor for death.
How old do you have to be to have atrial fibrillation?
Prevalence of Atrial Fibrillation. The prevalence of atrial fibrillation increased with older age ( Figure 2 ), ranging from 0.1% among persons younger than 55 years to 9.0% among patients 80 years or older; among persons 60 years or older, 3.8% had atrial fibrillation.
When do you need a holter monitor for atrial fibrillation?
When clinical suspicion of atrial fibrillation persists despite normal electrocardiography results, a Holter monitor (24-hour recording) or event monitor (seven- to 30-day recording) may be required. The history and physical examination are focused on identifying risk factors]
How many people in the US have atrial fibrillation?
United States Projections of Atrial Fibrillation. We estimate that approximately 2.1 million Americans had atrial fibrillation during the period of cohort assembly and that there are nearly 2.3 million US adults with atrial fibrillation currently (lower bound, 2.0 million; upper bound, 2.5 million).