Irregular heartbeat, heartbeat abnormalities, and arrhythmia all describe the disease known as atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is a common heart condition that affects the heart’s ability to pump blood at a regular pace. This includes heartbeats that are too rapid or irregularly. (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2014). Atrial fibrillation, also known as AF or Afib is the most prevalent heart arrhythmia with 2.7 million affected in the United States alone (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2014; American Heart Association 2012b). Sufferers of atrial fibrillation have the ability to control this disease with life alterations and the variety of treatments available with today’s technological advances.
To understand the complications that occur in the heart when dealing with AF, one must first understand how the heart functions and how it sends the electrical signals that cause the heart to beat. In the upper right chamber of the heart, known as the right atrium, electrical signals are sent from the sinoatrial (SA) node through the electrical impulses known as autorhythmic cells. These autorhythmic cells essentially make the heart beat because they begin the electrical impulses that cause the heart to pulse in a rhythmic pattern. The right atrium fills with blood and then uses the electrical impulse created by the SA node to push the blood to the lower right chamber of the heart known as the right ventricle. The autorhythmic cells are sent through the atriums of the heart, which causes it to contract. That electrical impulse arrives at the atrioventricular (AV) bundle in a lower part of the right atrium. The (AV) bundle uses these electrical impulses to separate the tricuspid valves to allow blood from t...
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...le the patient is sleeping. Other treatments similar to electrical cardioversion are used to treat AF. The treatment needed again depends on the severity and what a medical practitioner feels can most appropriately fits the situation (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2014).
Those living with AFib are capable of living a healthy and normal life with early diagnosis and the use of specialized treatments that most effectively reduce risk of stroke and AFib episodes. AFib is the most common heart arrhythmia that affects Americans today so knowing the signs and symptoms can only increase early detection and the likelihood of sustaining a healthy life. While the symptoms of AF are similar to other heart conditions, the disease has specific affects that have risks of their own. With simple lifestyle changes, AF can be prevented or maintained with minimal effort.
There are several different heart problems that show up as an abnormal EKG reading. For example, a heart block can occur when there is a delay in the signals coming from the SA node, AV node, or the Purkinje fibers. However, clinically the term heart block is used to refer to an AV block. This delays or completely stops communication between the atria and the ventricles. AV block is shown on the EKG as a delayed or prolonged PR interval. The P wave represents the activity in the atria, and the QRS complex represents ventricular activity. This is why the PR interval shows the signal delay from the AV node. There are three degrees of severity, and if the delay is greater than .2 seconds it is classified as first degree. Second degree is classified by several regularly spaced P waves before each QRS complex. Third degree can be shown by P waves that have no spacing relationship to the QRS complex. Another type of blockage is bundle branch block. This is caused by a blockage in the bundle of His, creating a delay in the electrical signals traveling down the bundle branches to reach the ventricles. This results in a slowed heart beat, or brachycardia. On an EKG reading this is shown as a prolonged QRS complex. A normal QRS is about .8-.12 seconds, and anything longer is considered bundle branch block. Another type of abnormal EKG reading is atrial fibrillation, when the atria contracts very quickly. On the EKG this is shown by no clear P waves, only many small fibrillating waves, and no PR interval to measure. This results in a rapid and irregular heartbeat. On the other hand, ventricular fibrillation is much more serious and can cause sudden death if not treated by electrical defibrillation.
In this lab, I took two recordings of my heart using an electrocardiogram. An electrocardiogram, EKG pg. 628 Y and pg. 688 D, is a recording of the heart's electrical impulses, action potentials, going through the heart. The different phases of the EKG are referred to as waves; the P wave, QRS Complex, and the T wave. These waves each signify the different things that are occurring in the heart. For example, the P wave occurs when the sinoatrial (SA) node, aka the pacemaker, fires an action potential. This causes the atria, which is currently full of blood, to depolarize and to contract, aka atrial systole. The signal travels from the SA node to the atrioventricular (AV) node during the P-Q segment of the EKG. The AV node purposefully delays
1.2 & 1.3 Explain The Cardiac Cycle And Describe How The Heart Rate Is Modified According To The Needs Of The Body
The normal Mitral Valve controls blood flow between the upper (left atrium) and lower chamber (left ventricle) of the left side of the heart. The mitral valve allows blood to flow from the left atrium into the left ventricle, but not flow the other way. With each heartbeat, the atria contract and push blood into the ventricles. The flaps of the mitral and tricuspid valves open to let blood through. Then, the ventricles contract to pump the blood out of the heart. The flaps of the mitral and tricuspid valves close and form a tight seal that prevents blood from flowing back into the atria (nhlbi.nih.gov).
It occurs because of repetitive electrical activity. This can occur in a patient with early or late heart failure, because there is damage to the heart tissue and the heart beats faster to try to supply the body with blood. Recommended treatment is elective cardioversion. Drugs used include an antidysrhythmic such as Mexitil or Sotalol (Ignatavicius &Workman, p. 728-729).
Cardiomyopathy, by definition, means the weakening of the heart muscle. The heart is operated by a striated muscle that relies on the autonomic nervous system to function. Cardiomyopathy is diagnosed in four different ways based on what caused the illness and exactly what part of the heart is weakened. The four main types of cardiomyopathy are dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, restrictive cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia. One other category of cardiomyopathy that is diagnosed is “unclassified cardiomyopathy.” Unclassified cardiomyopathy is the weakening of the heart that does not fit into the main four categories.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a cardiac arrhythmia. It is the most common arrhythmia and it has implications for patients and anaesthetists alike. The anaesthetist must take into consideration the physiological and pharmacological implications of this common arrhythmia.
Atherosclerosis is a disease that occurs when arteries become blocked, inflamed, or hardened. As a result of this, blood cannot easily pass through the artery, and blood pressure increases. Many people suffer from atherosclerosis as they age, but young people can be affected by atherosclerosis also. There are many preventative steps that can be taken to decrease the risk of atherosclerosis; however, if atherosclerosis does develop in the arteries, medications can be given to help the individual receive adequate blood flow to important tissues. Atherosclerosis is a very serious condition that requires medical attention and a change in life style because it is a precursor to many dangerous and potentially fatal diseases.
The cardiac cycle is composed of five stages. These stages are atrial systole, early ventricular systole, late ventricular systole, early ventricular diastole, and late ventricular diastole. In order for atrial systole to occur, the blood that has been flowing between the atrium and ventricle via the opened atrioventricular valves must be deposited into the ventricles. The SA node is responsible for the contraction of the atrial myocardium. Once the atrium contracts, blood cannot flow back into or enter the atria because the openings of the great veins has been narrowed by pressure. The ventricles are now filled with blood accomplishing end-diastolic volume which is another term for how much blood your ventricles can contain while your body is at rest. The next phase is early ventricular systole. Now that all the blood is in your ventricles, it must continue onward to the
The heart serves as a powerful function in the human body through two main jobs. It pumps oxygen-rich blood throughout the body and “blood vessels called coronary arteries that carry oxygenated blood straight into the heart muscle” (Katzenstein and Pinã, 2). There are four chambers and valves inside the heart that “help regulate the flow of blood as it travels through the heart’s chambers and out to the lungs and body” (Katzenstein Pinã, 2). Within the heart there is the upper chamber known as the atrium (atria) and the lower chamber known as the ventricles. “The atrium receive blood from the lu...
The heart is two sided and has four chambers and is mostly made up of muscle. The heart’s muscles are different from other muscles in the body because the heart’s muscles cannot become tired, so the muscle is always expanding and contacting. The heart usually beats between 60 and 100 beats per minute. In the right side of the heart, there is low pressure and its job is to send red blood cells. Blood enters the right heart through a chamber which is called right atrium. The right atrium is another word for entry room. Since the atrium is located above the right ventricle, a mixture of gravity and a squeeze pushes tricuspid valve into the right ventricle. The tricuspid is made up of three things that allow blood to travel from top to bottom in the heart but closes to prevent the blood from backing up in the right atrium.
Arrhythmia I am doing my report on Arrhythmia. It affects the cardiac muscle, the heart. Arrhythmia causes three types of problems. It causes the heart to pump too slowly (bradycardia), it causes the heart to pump too fast (tachycardis), and it causes the heart to skip beats (palipations).
When a person has Atrial Fibrillation, the sinoatrial node releases multiple quick impulses at a rate of 350 -600 times per minute. When this happens, the ventricles respond by beating around 120- 200 beats per minute, making it tough to identify an accurate heart rate. This arrhythmia can be the result of various things. During a normal heart beat, the electrical impulse begins at the sinoatrial node and travels down the conduction pathway until the ventricles contract. Once that happens, the SA node fires again and the process keeps on cycling (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2013).
Oxygen was first admitted to the client with chest pain over 100 years ago (Metcalfe, 2011). Chest pain is a large bracket that can contain many different conditions, but for the purpose of this analysis it is focused manly upon a myocardial infarction. A myocardial infarction is mainly referred to as a heart attack, and occurs when one or more coronary arteries leading to the heart reduce or completely stop blood flow (Tuipulotu, 2013 ). Administering high concentrations of oxygen to patients with chest pain is now embedded in guidelines, protocols and care pathways, even with a lack of clear supporting evidence (Nicholson, 2004 ). High concentration of oxygen means that up to 60% is administered (Knott, 2012). More recent research has suggested that the use of oxygen in this scenario is unnecessary and can lead to unwanted side effects, especially in normoxic cardiac patients (Moradkham & Sinoway, 2010 ). The aim of this comparative analysis is to dismantle and understand both the benefits and risks of the commonly known practice of administration of oxygen to the client with chest pain. Through completing this analysis using recent and appropriate evidence a more improved practice can be given and understood.
The heart beats when electrical signals move through it. Ventricular fibrillation is a condition in which the heart's electrical activity becomes disordered. When this happens, the heart's lower (pumping) chambers contract in a rapid, unsynchronized way. (The ventricles "flutter" rather than beat.) The heart pumps little or no blood therefore the probability of death is high.