About the disease
Atrial flutter is dysfunctional heart rhythm in the heart atria. The number of random atrial contractions during atrial flutter varies from 350 to 799 beats per 1 minute. Normal human heartbeat is approximately 120 beats per minute. If heart beat exceeds this number, a person is diagnosed with tachycardia. Atrial flutter is most characteristic for people who have hypertension and disease of coronary artery. Each case of this disease is very individual. General condition of the patients can can vary satisfactory to moderate or severe. In that case the patient has pale skin and suffers from cyanosis of the mucous membranes and swelling of jugular veins. There are two manifestations of this disease: permanent long-term arrhythmia and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation which attacks can last up to 7 days. Long-term atrial fibrillation can result in such complications as violation of hemodynamics and heart failure. Thromboembolism, which is formation of blood clots in the atria, is another complication of this disease. Thromboembolism can develop in cerebral vessels, mesentery, kidney, spleen, lungs, limbs and peripheral vessels. Mortality rate among patients with chronic atrial fibrillation is approximately 30%. This is because of ventricular arrhythmia, which can result in sudden death.
Symptoms
- Rapid heartbeat
- Shortness of breath
- Dull aching pain in the heart
- Spasmodic contractions of the heart
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of this disease is usually done by cardiologist on the basis of:
- Electrocardiogram, which can measure person's heart beat
- Auscultation is also an effective diagnostic method, during which a doctor listens to patient`s heart
Treatment
- Electroconvulsive therapy is an electroshock treatment, during which electric current is applied through the electrodes, attached to the brain. This therapy causes brief seizure in the brain, which restores the normal heartbeat.
- Pacemaker implantation This device, which is also called an artificial pacemaker is used to maintain a normal heart rate for patients with atrial fibrillation. Pacemaker periodically delivers pulses that affect the myocardium and cause it to shrink at a certain frequency. Implantation of the device makes a skin incision on the heart, while its edges are not affected. This operation has a low traumatic effect.
- Open invasive cardiac ablation creates the scar tissue, which can restore the heart beat.
- Catheter ablation neutralizes heart cells that trigger atrial fibrillation. This is done by opening the fused fibers of impulses in the problem area. Destruction of tissues is produced by laser radiation, cold, electrical or chemical reagent. Catheter ablation is considered to be a minimally invasive method, since it does not open heart.
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