What Is Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation?
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac disorder in the clinic. Uncoordinated atrial activity in patients with atrial fibrillation can lead to the decline of the atrial mechanism and ultimately to stroke and mortality. Atrial fibrillation can be subdivided into 3 types: paroxysmal AF, persistent AF, and permanent AF.
- Chinese name
- Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation
- duration
- Duration 7d (usually 2d)
- Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac disorder in the clinic. Uncoordinated atrial activity in patients with atrial fibrillation can lead to the decline of the atrial mechanism and ultimately to stroke and mortality. Atrial fibrillation can be subdivided into 3 types: paroxysmal AF, persistent AF, and permanent AF.
- Among them, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation refers to the duration of atrial fibrillation 7d (usually 2d), which can usually terminate on its own and can be repeated.
Causes and common diseases of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation
- Atrial fibrillation is the most severe atrial electrical activity disorder and one of the most common tachyarrhythmias. Ventricular rhythm (rate) disorders, impaired cardiac function, and atrial mural thrombosis are the main pathological features of patients with AF.
- From the perspective of the etiology of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, the majority of the incidence of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation is caused by organic disease based on heart disease, especially in patients with primary heart disease and other causes of heart disease. In clinical practice, it can also be seen in acute infection and cerebrovascular accident, which is idiopathic atrial fibrillation.
Differential diagnosis of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation
- Atrial fibrillation is now diagnosed mainly through ECG or Holter results. Atrial fibrillation itself is not a fatal arrhythmia, but it can cause dizziness, palpitations and other uncomfortable symptoms, and severely cause clinical diseases such as stroke, myocardial infarction, and heart failure.
- ECG is of great significance in the monitoring and diagnosis of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Clinical studies have shown that patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation have specific ECG characteristics, that is, they have the following characteristics: (1) the ECG of these patients shows no P wave, It becomes f waves with the same size, same shape and the same spacing; (2) the regularity of the ventricular rate; (3) the frequency of the f wave is 350 to 600 times / min; (4) the QRS complex is mostly normal.
Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation
- Patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation need to routinely improve their blood routine, electrolytes, creatinine, blood glucose, and thyroid function in order to find diseases such as anemia, electrolyte disturbance, diabetes, and hyperthyroidism. For patients with clinical suspicion of coronary heart disease need to improve myocardial enzymes, natriuretic peptides and other tests. In addition, transthoracic echocardiography is needed to assess heart disease, left atrial function, and internal diameter. For those who need rapid rhythms, transaesophageal ultrasound is needed to exclude intracardiac thrombosis if the onset of AF is not known.
Principles of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation
- The latest titer analysis for this study found that for young patients with AF, catheter radiofrequency ablation has a good cost-effectiveness ratio. Therefore, for patients with frequent paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, especially young patients, catheter radiofrequency ablation is recommended as a first-line treatment for maintaining sinus rhythm, but it should be noted that operation during the acute phase of cerebral embolism has certain risks. Alternatively, anti-arrhythmic drugs can be chosen to reduce the onset of AF. However, if the onset of atrial fibrillation is frequent, it is necessary to change the strategy of ventricular rate control combined with anticoagulation therapy.
- Anti-thrombotic drugs are now available mainly as anticoagulant warfarin, antiplatelet aspirin and clopidogrel.