Atrial Fibrillation Flashcards
What is the condition characterized by irregular pulse?
Atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is associated with various symptoms and can lead to serious complications.
List three symptoms of atrial fibrillation.
Irregular pulse with or without:
* Breathlessness
* Fatigue
* Dizziness
* Syncope/fainting
* Palpitations
* Chest discomfort
What is a potential consequence of atrial fibrillation related to blood flow?
Can contribute to stroke or heart attack
Blood can pool inside the heart, leading to clot formation.
What are the first-line treatments for atrial fibrillation?
(Direct) Oral anticoagulants like dabigatran, apixaban, rivaroxaban, and edoxaban.
And rate control drugs (digoxin)/beta-blockers (propanolol, metoprolol)/calcium channel blockers (diltiazem)
Discuss potential benefits and risks. CHA2DS2-VASc and ORBIT are used.
What is the second-line treatment for atrial fibrillation?
Vitamin K antagonists like warfarin, acenocoumarol and phenidione.
If contraindicated, refer to cardiology.
What diagnostic test is primarily used to identify atrial fibrillation?
Electrocardiogram (ECG)
Other tests may include echocardiogram, chest x-ray, and blood tests.
List two potential identifiable causes of atrial fibrillation.
- High blood pressure
- Heart failure
Other causes can include obesity, diabetes, and chronic kidney diseases.
True or False: Atrial fibrillation can be triggered by focal firing within the atria.
True
Atrial arrhythmias like atrial flutter can also trigger atrial fibrillation.
What are key contributing factors to atrial fibrillation?
- Electrical remodelling
- Structural remodelling
- Cell death
- Fibrosis
These factors can lead to the development and persistence of atrial fibrillation.
Fill in the blank: Atrial fibrillation can lead to _______ due to blood clot formation.
stroke or heart attack
Clots can form in the brain (stroke) or coronary vessels (heart attack) , resulting in serious health issues.
Three types of AF
Paroxysmal, persistent and permanent
Do not offer rate control as first line if a person has AF AND
- A potentially reversible cause.
- Heart failure thought to be primarily caused by AF.
- New-onset AF within the past 48 hours.
- A rhythm-control strategy is felt to be more suitable clinically — this will usually be a specialist decision.
When is DOAC considered for first line?
if a person has AF and a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 2 or above, and consider a DOAC for a man with AF and a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 1, taking into account the risk of bleeding
Do not offer anticoagulation to…
a person aged under 65 years with AF and no risk factors other than their sex (a very low risk of stroke equating to a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 0 for men or 1 for women).
CHA2 DAS2-VASC test
Determines a persons stroke risk
ORBIT score
bleeding risk score- identify people at high risk of bleeding to help guide decisions on anticoagulation treatment and monitoring
