What is Atrial Fibrillation?

An Atrial fibrillation is a type of an arrhythmia disorder in which there is a disruption in the heart's natural electrical pattern or activity which results in the upper two chambers of the heart no longer beating in a normal, synchronized fashion. Rather, electrical impulses move about both atria in a chaotic pattern.  This results in activation of the atria at somewhere between 400 and 600 times per minute. The impulses coursing through the atria traverse through a structure called the A-V node to reach the ventricles. The hallmark of atrial fibrillation is an irregular rhythm where the ventricles, or bottom pumping chambers of the heart, beat in a very chaotic fashion.   When the heart beats faster than normal, it is called tachycardia.  Tachycardia that originates in the atria is called supraventricular tachycardia, and ventricular tachycardia when it originates in the ventricles. One of the most common supraventricular tachycardias is atrial fibrillation.

The total lack of a normal rhythm in the heart results in cardiac arrest, which can be fatal within minutes if there, is no emergency intervention.

What are the warning signs and symptoms of atrial fibrillation?
Individuals with atrial fibrillation may experience no symptoms, limited symptoms in the form of palpitations, or catastrophic symptoms such as loss of consciousness due to rates which are either too fast or too slow .

Tests that reveal arrhythmias and identify the type of arrhythmia include:
Electrocardiogram (ECG)
Ambulatory cardiac monitoring (for example, a Holter monitor, used for 24 hours, or loop recorders that may be worn for 2 weeks or longer)
Echocardiogram
Electrophysiology study (EPS)
Coronary Angiography