Atrial fibrillation

Phonetic exercise: atrial fibrillation [‘eitriəl ,faibri’lei∫n], heart rhythm [‘ha:t ‘riðm], arrhythmia [ə’riθmiə], chamber [‘t∫eimbə], chambers [‘t∫eimbəz], upper atria [‘Λpə ‘eitriə], epidemiology [‘epi,di:mi’ləd3i], pressure [‘pre∫ə], mitral [‘maitrəl], congestive heart failure [kən’d3estiv ‘ha:t ‘feiljə], thyroid [‘θairid], esophageal [,is’fəd3i:əIl, version [‘və:∫n]

Make a report on atrial fibrillation according to the plan below:

Definition: the most common cardiac arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm); involves the two upper chambers (atria) of the heart.

Epidemiology of AF: Approximately 2.2 million individuals in the United States and 4.5 million in the European Union.

Causes: hypertension (high blood pressure); coronary artery disease, mitral stenosis, mitral regurgitation, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), pericarditis, congenital heart disease, previous heart surgery, lung diseases (such as pneumonia, lung cancer, pulmonary embolism), excessive alcohol consumption, hyperthyroidism, carbon monoxide poisoning, a family history, etc.

Symptoms, signs, clinical manifestations, clinical features: rapid and irregular heart rates, palpitations, exercise intolerance, shortness of breath; AF may be asymptomatic in many cases.

Evaluation:

History: a personal medical history, a family history, a medication history, an occupational history, a professional history, an environmental history, etc.

Physical examination: observation, palpation, percussion, and auscultation

Instrumental evaluation: ECG, transthoracic echocardiogram, trans-esophageal echocardiography, cardiorespiratory monitoring, routine bloodwork, evaluation of the heart rate response to exercise, exercise stress testing, a chest x-ray, , and other studies.

Treatment: anticoagulation medications: aspirin, heparin, warfarin, and dabigatran; intravenous magnesium; beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, cardiac glycosides; cardioversion: a noninvasive conversion of an irregular heartbeat to a normal heartbeat using electrical or chemical means.

Medical humor

“Your heart is in great shape, but I’d recommend transplanting all of your other body parts”.

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“You have a heart murmur and I’m starting to hear your liver and kidneys complain too “.

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• “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da…” – “I think your heart’s sending out an S.O.S.”

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Doctor to his patient, “Irregular heartbeat. Due to irregular exercise.”

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Doctor to his patient, “An aspirin a day will help prevent a heart atack if you have it for lunch instead of a cheeseburger.”

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A man needing a heart transplant is told by his doctor that the only heart available is that of a sheep. The man finally agrees and the doctor transplants the sheep heart into the man.

A few days after the operation, the man comes in for a checkup.

The doctor asks him "How are you feeling?"

The man replies "Not BAAAAD!"

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ECG of a student - NORMAL HEART- _,"._/\_,"._/\,_,",_/\_

EXAM TIME- _/|_/|_/|_/|_/|_/|_ &

WHEN RESULTS ARE ANNOUNCED- _____________