Atrial Fibrillation - Essay Example

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a tachy- arrhythmia associated with primarily unsystematic atrial activation those results in the deterioration of atrial function. This disorder affects approximately 1.3% of the people in England and Wales (Cottrell, 2011). The risk of developing AF increases with age; its prevalence is common in people above 40 years (Campbell-Cole & Lee, 2014). However, it is more prevalent in males than females. AF occurs as a result of an electrical signaling pathway abnormality; signals are produced from all over the atria instead of following a usually coordinated pathway. Its symptoms include palpitations, shortness of breath, fatigue, and dizziness. Other symptoms of AF include poor exercise intolerance, generalized weakness, and irregular pulse (Cottrell, 2011). It can also result in death. Despite this, over 90% of the victims of AF maybe not show any symptoms (Cottrell, 2011). The risk factors of AF include degeneration heart disease and atherosclerosis. Obesity, hypertension as well as metabolic syndrome, and diabetes are associated with cardiovascular disease and are also risk factors for AF (Cottrell, 2011 Campbell-Cole & Lee, 2014). Apart from the structural complications of the heart, causes of AF may also be a result of thoracic surgery as well as coronary artery bypass grafts. Complications of AF include stroke, heart failure, and severe can lead to death (Campbell-Cole & Lee, 2014).

AF is often diagnosed by an irregular pulse. However, this is often confirmed by ECG (Elliott, 2014). The use of ECG helps one to identify acute changes and co-existing cardiac abnormalities like left-ventricular hypertrophy (Elliott, 2014). Management of this disorder includes considering patients with AF for anticoagulation. However, anticoagulation may also increase the risk of serious bleeding, and as a result of this, patients need to be informed about AF and treatment options (Elliott, 2014). According to Roberts and his colleagues (2015), warfarin therapy is crucial for the prevention of systematic embolism as well as stroke associated with AF. It also aids in the prevention of venous thromboembolism. The decision to use warfarin in stroke prevention is based on the CHADS2 score; 1 point for congestive heart failure, age above 75 years, hypertension and diabetes mellitus, and 2 points for transient ischaemic attack (Roberts et al., 2015). Patients using warfarin should be cared for through approaches such as usual care by the GP, patient self-monitoring, and laboratory care programs. As a result of this, regular monitoring as well as good patient education is crucial for successful treatment of AF via the use of warfarin therapy (Roberts et al., 2015).

In relation to Cottrell, Spivak (2015) and Campbell-Cole and Lee (2014) claim that AF is the most frequent cardiac arrhythmia that affects approximately 1 person in every 10 persons aged above 80 years. Patients with AF are often advised to use anticoagulants to reduce the risks associated with blood clotting (Campbell-Cole & Lee, 2014). There are many types of anticoagulants. However, oral anticoagulants are recommended for outpatient medical management. Due to reactions associated with drug-drug as well as drug-food interactions, it is crucial for occasional monitoring of laboratory studies to be conducted. According to Spivak (2015), the use of anticoagulants varies with patients receiving the anticoagulant. Nonadherence to anticoagulant therapy can result in negative consequences in not only excessive bleeding but also excessive clotting. As a result of this, educating patients on how to use anticoagulants is very paramount (Engelke, 2014). Teaching patients about OAT may enable them better understand OAT as well as learn why it is required in the treatment of AF. According to Campbell-Cole and Lee (2014), beta-blockers aid significantly in relieving AF symptoms as well as lowering the resting heart rate. Pulmonary heart isolation which involves the placement of a catheter in the heart of the incision of the femoral artery is also regarded as one of the treatment methods for AF (Campbell-Cole & Lee, 2014).