Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac arrhythmia that is not considered a serious illness in itself, but is prone to complications such as thromboembolism and cerebral embolism, which are more harmful.
Atrial fibrillation is a condition in which the atria lose their regular, organized electrical activity and replace it with rapid, disorganized waves of fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation replaces effective contraction and diastole with disorganized fibrillation, which leads to decreased or even loss of atrial pumping function, as well as decreasing transmission of rapid atrial excitation by the AV node, resulting in extremely irregular ventricular responses, which is not a serious disease in itself.
The main pathophysiologic features of patients with AF include ventricular rhythm and frequency disturbances, impaired cardiac function, and the formation of a wall thrombus in the atria. Thromboembolism caused by dislodgment of the attached wall thrombus is often life-threatening and severely affects the patient’s quality of life. The embolus comes mainly from the left atrium, especially from the left atrium, due to loss of normal contractility of the atria and massive stagnation of blood flow.
Cerebral embolism has a higher incidence and is the most dangerous of the thromboembolisms; therefore, atrial fibrillation should be actively treated with anticoagulation to prevent thromboembolism when necessary. Anticoagulant medications such as warfarin or surgical procedures such as left heart ear block can be used, depending on the doctor’s instructions.
Patients with atrial fibrillation are advised to seek medical advice from a physician.