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Atrial Apart from exceedingly rare conditions, such as aneurysms of the atrial wall or dilatation of the atrial appendages, the significant atrial lesions are undue prominence of the valves of the embryonic venous sinus, juxtaposition of the atrial appendages, and division of the left atrium (cor triatriatum). In this section, true atrial septal defects, that is, defects within the confines of the fossa ovalis, along with the sinus venosus and coronary sinus defects are considered. Atrial septal defects are of historical importance in that they were the focus of some of the earliest attempts at surgical correction of intracardiac defects. www.pediheart.org /practitioners/defects/atrial.htm   (2372 words)

Atrial Fibrillation The hemodynamic consequences of artial fibrillation are due to two factors:(1)the loss of atrial systole may impair ventricular function in the noncompliant ventricle(e.g.,aortic stenosis,left ventricular hypertrophy) or the dilated ventricle with systolic dysfunction and (2) a rapid ventricular rate encroaches upon diastolic filling of the left ventricle and the coronary arteries. Atrial fibrillation is an arrhythmia, characterized by grossly disorganized atrial electrical activity, which is irregular in respect to both rate and rhythm (see figures 14, 15a, 15b). Atrial fibrillation may be minimally symptomatic to asymptomatic, or associated with fatigue, palpitations, nonspecific symptoms, reduced quality of life, reduced memory in elder patients, acute pulmonary edema (lungs full of fluid with severe shortness of breath) occurring in mitral stenosis or aortic stenosis. www.rjmatthewsmd.com /Definitions/atrial_fibrillation.htm   (3010 words)

Atrial flutter - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Atrial flutter is a rhythmic, fast rhythm that occurs in the atria of the heart. Atrial flutter is typically not a stable rhythm, and frequently degenerates to atrial fibrillation. In atrial fibrillation, the AV node is typically bombarded with signals from the atria at rates in excess of 400 beats/minute. en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Atrial_flutter   (1515 words)

Atrial fibrillation/flutter In atrial fibrillation and flutter, the atria are stimulated to contract very quickly and differently from the normal activity originating from the sinoatrial node. Underlying causes of atrial fibrillation and flutter include dysfunction of the sinus node (the "natural pacemaker" of the heart) and a number of heart and lung disorders, including coronary artery disease, rheumatic heart disease, mitral valve disorders, pericarditis, and others. Some patients with atrial fibrillation and rapid heart rates may need the radiofrequency ablation done not on the atria, but directly on the AV junction (i.e., the area that normally filters the impulses coming from the atria before they proceed to the ventricles). www.pennhealth.com /ency/article/000184.htm   (834 words)

ABC of clinical electrocardiography: Atrial arrhythmias -- Goodacre and Irons 324 (7337): 594 -- BMJ Atrial fibrillation is caused by multiple re-entrant circuits or "wavelets" of activation sweeping around the atrial myocardium. Atrial flutter is due to a re-entry circuit in the right atrium with secondary activation of the left atrium. The causes of atrial flutter are similar to those of atrial fibrillation, although idiopathic atrial flutter is uncommon. www.bmj.com /cgi/content/full/324/7337/594   (1199 words)

Atrial Fibrillation and Atrial Flutter: Abnormal Heart Rhythms: Merck Manual Home Edition Atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter are very fast electrical discharge patterns that make the atria contract very rapidly, with some of the electrical impulses reaching the ventricles and causing them to contract faster and less efficiently than normal. During atrial flutter, the atrial rhythm is regular, and the ventricular rhythm may be regular or irregular. Treatment of atrial fibrillation or flutter is designed to control the rate at which the ventricles contract, to restore the normal rhythm of the heart, and to treat the disorder causing the arrhythmia. www.merck.com /mmhe/sec03/ch027/ch027c.html   (1097 words)

Atrial Fibrillation   (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-21) The reason for the death with atrial fibrillation is primarily because of the clots, which form in the left atrial appendage. The vast majority of these patients are not in atrial fibrillation, but hopefully many of them will live long enough that they will be subject to the usual incidence of atrial fibrillation that is seen in the older population. Again, some of those patients may already have an atrial appendage, which is full of clot, and we would suggest the open procedure with removal of the clot in the lining of the appendage. www.johnsonheartcare.com /new_page_2.htm   (1687 words)

UpToDate Patient information: Atrial fibrillation These rapid impulses result in chaotic contractions of the atrial muscle, described as "quivering" or "worm-like." Thus, instead of a forceful single contraction of the atria seen in normal sinus rhythm, the rapid contractions of atrial fibrillation are weak, resulting in the ejection of only a small amount of blood. Patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation that cannot be adequately controlled with medicines may be candidates for catheter ablation to cure the atrial fibrillation. Likelihood of spontaneous conversion of atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm. patients.uptodate.com /topic.asp?file=hrt_dis/4882   (3592 words)

eMedicine - Atrial Flutter : Article by Jeffrey Lazar, MD, MPH   (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-21) Atrial flutter is defined by the presence of stable, uniform atrial activation (flutter waves). Atrial flutter, type I, is also referred to as typical, common, or counter-clockwise isthmus-dependent atrial flutter and involves a re-entrant circuit that encircles the tricuspid annulus of the right atrium, with a depolarizing stimulus traveling up the atrial septum, experiencing epicardial break-through superiorly, and traveling back down the atrial free wall. Atrial flutter is associated in patients with heart failure, valvular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hyperthyroidism, pericarditis, pulmonary embolism, and a history of open heart surgery. www.emedicine.com /emerg/topic47.htm   (4620 words)

Information on atrial fibrillation (abnormality in the heart rhythm) produced by medical doctors Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common, abnormal rhythm of the heart. In a normal heart, the rate of atrial contraction is the same as the rate of ventricular contraction. The rate of ventricular contraction in AF is determined by the speed of transmission of the atrial electrical discharges through the AV node. www.medicinenet.com /atrial_fibrillation/article.htm   (1189 words)

Atrial Fibrillation Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment on eMedicineHealth.com Atrial fibrillation describes an irregular and often rapid heart rhythm. Instead of a coordinated contraction, the atrial contractions are irregular, disorganized, chaotic, and very rapid. If treated properly, atrial fibrillation rarely causes serious or life-threatening problems. www.emedicinehealth.com /atrial_fibrillation/article_em.htm   (565 words)

Atrial Fibrillation - Page 1 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an abnormal heartbeat that affects the upper chambers of the heart, or Atrial fibrillation causes approximately 15 percent of all strokes. Atrial fibrillation is also associated with greater complications and greater risk of death from heart.healthcentersonline.com /arrhythmia/atrialfibrillation.cfm   (475 words)

Atrial fibrillation Some people with atrial fibrillation have no symptoms and are unaware of their condition until their doctor discovers it during a physical examination. The risk of stroke in atrial fibrillation depends on your age (you have a higher risk as you age), on whether you have high blood pressure, a history of heart failure or a previous stroke, and other factors. Atrial fibrillation alone may weaken the heart, leading to heart failure — a condition in which your heart can't circulate enough blood to meet your body's needs. www.cnn.com /HEALTH/library/DS/00291.html   (1989 words)

Atrial fibrillation - MayoClinic.com Atrial fibrillation is a common heart rhythm problem. Atrial fibrillation is often caused by changes in your heart that occur with age or as a result of heart disease or high blood pressure. Atrial fibrillation may be a sporadic condition, or it may be chronic. www.mayoclinic.com /health/atrial-fibrillation/DS00291   (263 words)

Lone Atrial Fibrillation Atrial fibrillation may be chronic or intermittent (paroxysmal) and may be triggered by an underlying heart disease such as mitral valve prolapse or stenosis, coronary artery disease, hypertensive heart disease, a heart attack or an inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart (pericarditis). Many cases of atrial fibrillation are not connected with heart disease or hypertension at all and not too long ago were described as "idiopathic", that is, with no known cause. Atrial fibrillation not caused by an underlying heart disease is referred to as primary or lone atrial fibrillation(3). www.yourhealthbase.com /atrial_fibrillation.html   (2353 words)

Paroxysmal (Lone) Atrial Fibrillation - FAQs Atrial fibrillation basically involves a chaotic movement of electrical impulses across the atria and leads to a loss of synchrony between the atria and the ventricles. Atrial fibrillation in itself is not a disease, but rather a symptom of some other disorder of the body. Medical intervention in lone atrial fibrillation is aimed at preventing episodes, ameliorating the symptoms of episodes, converting the fibrillation to normal sinus rhythm (NSR), and reducing the risk of stroke. www.afibbers.org /faq.htm   (2507 words)

Atrial fibrillation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Atrial fibrillation is often asymptomatic, but may result in symptoms of palpitations, fainting, chest pain, or even heart failure. Atrial fibrillation is diagnosed on an electrocardiogram, an investigation performed routinely whenever irregular heart beat is suspected. In atrial fibrillation, the regular impulses produced by the sinus node to provide rhythmic contraction of the heart are overwhelmed by the rapid randomly generated discharges produced by larger areas of atrial tissue. en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Atrial_fibrillation   (3247 words)

afib, atrial fib, ablation, atrial fibrillation Atrial fibrillation is an abnormal heart rhythm originating in the atria (top chambers of the heart). Atrial fibrillation is very common in patients who require heart surgery for other reasons (such as mitral valve surgery, aortic valve surgery, coronary artery bypass grafting, and other surgical procedures). During surgical procedures to treat atrial fibrillation, the left atrial appendage is removed and the tissue is closed with a special stapling device. www.clevelandclinic.org /heartcenter/pub/atrial_fibrillation/surgtx.htm   (2545 words)

MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Atrial fibrillation/flutter This results in ineffective and uncoordinated contraction of the atria in atrial fibrillation, and in a peculiarly organized contraction pattern in atrial flutter. If the atrial fibrillation/flutter is part of a condition called sick sinus syndrome, the sinus node may not work properly, and the heart rate may alternate between slow and fast. For some patients with atrial flutter, radiofrequency ablation is the current treatment of choice. www.nlm.nih.gov /medlineplus/ency/article/000184.htm   (895 words)

atrial fibrillation Atrial myxomas are most often found on the left side of the heart and are attached to the septum that divides the atria. This being said, cardiac surgery in general and surgery which involves the atrial septum (including operations the repair holes in the septum) are associated with atrial fibrillation (see a representative electrocardiogram) and atrial flutter. Theoretically it should increase the chance of atrial fibrillation as it decreases the refractory period of the atrium, and secondly it slows the conduction of the fibrillation to the bottom of the heart. sprojects.mmi.mcgill.ca /heart/wellaf.html   (3658 words)

Atrial septal defect An atrial septal defect is an abnormal opening in the wall separating the left and right upper chambers (atria) of the heart. Abnormal openings in the atrial septum occur during fetal development and are twice as common in females as in males. People born with an atrial septal defect can have no symptoms through their twenties, but by age 40, most people with this condition have symptoms that can include shortness of breath, rapid abnormal beating of the atria (atrial fibrillation), and eventually heart failure. www.healthatoz.com /healthatoz/Atoz/ency/atrial_septal_defect.jsp   (756 words)

Basic Information on Atrial Fibrillation Atrial fibrillation (AF or Afib) is the most common type of irregular heartbeat. Chronic atrial fibrillation is associated with an increased risk of death. In these cases, the surgeon may combine the surgical treatment for atrial fibrillation with other surgical therapies to correct the atrial fibrillation and the coexisting heart condition. www.webmd.com /content/pages/9/1675_57844.htm   (2050 words)

Atrial Flutter   (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-21) Atrial fibrillation is a rapid chaotic rhythm that originates from multiple sites within both atrial chambers. Atrial flutter also involves rapid firing of the electrical impulse as in atrial fibrillation, but the rhythm or heart beat is more regular or organized. Signs and symptoms often experienced with atrial flutter are similar to those of atrial fibrillation, such as a pounding heart rate or pulse, shortness of breath, or dizziness. www.arrhythmia.org /general/whatis/fibflutter.html   (284 words)

Atrial Fibrillation -- familydoctor.org   (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-21) Atrial fibrillation (say: ay-tree-all fib-rill-ay-shun) is an irregular heartbeat that may be very fast. Atrial fibrillation is most common in people older than 60 years of age. Treating the cause of your atrial fibrillation often returns your heart rate to normal. familydoctor.org /775.xml   (519 words)

Atrial Flutter treatment options and information at Mayo Clinic For patients with atrial flutter, the medical team at Mayo Clinic is led by electrophysiologists. In atrial flutter, the upper chambers of the heart (atria) are electrically overstimulated as many as 300 times per minute, compared to the normal rate of 60 to 100 times. Atrial flutter is a form of tachycardia (rapid heart rate). www.mayoclinic.org /atrial-flutter   (356 words)

NGC - NGC Summary Atrial rates are typically between 240-320 BPM in the untreated state, but can slow significantly with antiarrhythmic drug therapy. Ventricular response to Atrial Fibrillation and Atrial Flutter depends on the ability of the AV node to conduct electrical impulses to the ventricle. Patients presenting with new onset atrial fibrillation of known duration less than 48 hours may be managed initially with either observation (in hopes of spontaneous conversion to sinus rhythm) or cardioversion. www.guideline.gov /summary/summary.aspx?doc_id=6145   (6376 words)

Atrial Flutter -- Boyer and Koplan 112 (22): e334 -- Circulation   (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-21) Atrial flutter results from a rapid circuit that occurs most commonly in the right atrium. Without medical therapy, every second atrial flutter beat conducts to the ventricles, resulting in a heart rate of 150 beats per minute. atrial flutter and to determine how often it is occurring. circ.ahajournals.org /cgi/content/full/112/22/e334   (1542 words)

Atrial fibrillation -- Veenhuyzen et al. 171 (7): 755 -- Canadian Medical Association Journal High resolution mapping of the pulmonary vein and the vein of Marshall during induced atrial fibrillation and atrial tachycardia in a canine model of pacing-induced congestive heart failure. Atrial mechanical performance following internal and external cardioversion of atrial fibrillation: its relationship to peripheral embolization and acute cerebrovascular accident. Atrial electroanatomic remodeling after circumferential radiofrequency pulmonary vein ablation: efficacy of an anatomic approach in a large cohort of patients with atrial fibrillation. www.cmaj.ca /cgi/content/full/171/7/755   (3400 words)

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