Atrial fibrillation/flutter
Alternative Names
Auricular fibrillation; A-fibSymptoms
- Sensation of feeling heart beat (palpitations)
- Pulse may feel rapid, racing, pounding, fluttering, or it can feel too slow
- Pulse may feel regular or irregular
- Dizziness, light-headedness
- Fainting
- Confusion
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Breathing difficulty, lying down
- Sensation of tightness in the chest
Note: Symptoms may begin or stop suddenly.
Exams and Tests
Listening to the heart with a stethoscope shows fast heart beat. The pulse may feel rapid, irregular, or both. The normal heart rate is 60 to 100, but in atrial fibrillation/flutter the heart rate may be 100 to 175. Blood pressure may be normal or low.
An ECG shows atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. Continuous ambulatory cardiac monitoring -- Holter monitor (24 hour test) -- may be necessary because the condition is often sporadic (occurring at some times but not others).
Tests to determine the presence of underlying heart diseases may include:
- Echocardiogram
- Nuclear imaging tests
- Coronary angiography
- Exercise treadmill ECG
- Electrophysiologic study (EPS) may be needed in some cases
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