Atrial Fibrillation Overview – ECG, types, pathophysiology, treatment, complications

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most popular arrhythmia and diagnosed by the finding of an irregularly irregular ventricular rhythm without discrete P waves. AF is a supraventricular tachycardia. In AF the atria do not contract in a synchronous rhythm, instead they quiver or fibrillate. This means that they beat very rapidly and irregularly. The most concerning thing about atrial fibrillation is clot formation and embolism due to stasis in the atrium. The left atrium is commonly involved in clot formation resulting in embolisation to the brain causing a stroke.