ARRHYTHMIAS-AF

SUMMARY

1. Most common sustained arrhythmia, ventricular rhythm is irregularly irregular with rate at 120-180/min.

2. assoc. with HTN, CAD, valvular heart disease, heart failure, CLD and OSA.

3. Divided into paroxysmal, persistent, permanent.

4. Patients may be aymptomatic or severely symptomatic. Complications: embolic events (stroke), tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy.

5. Risk factors: hyperthyroidism, OSA, hypomagnesemia, alcoholism, cocaine-use, excessive caffeine, nicotine-use.

6. Mechanism: multiple atrial ectopics trigger AF. Hence ablation has a role in paroxysmal AF.

Reference(s)

Wilkinson, I., Furmedge, D. and Sinharay, R. (2017). Oxford handbook of clinical medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Get it on Amazon.
Feather, A., Randall, D. and Waterhouse, M. (2020). Kumar And Clark’s Clinical Medicine. 10th ed. S.L.: Elsevier Health Sciences. Get it on Amazon.
Hannaman, R. A., Bullock, L., Hatchell, C. A., & Yoffe, M. (2016). Internal medicine review core curriculum, 2017-2018. CO Springs, CO: MedStudy.
Therapeutic Guidelines. Melbourne: Therapeutic Guidelines Limited. https://www.tg.org.au [Accessed 2021].