Atrial Fibrillation Quotes

Digitoxin (sometimes referred to as digitoxin or digitalis) This widely used heart medication is a cardiac glycoside used in the treatment of atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and congestive heart failure. Found in the lovely purple bells of the foxglove plant and the gorgeous, velvety black wings of the monarch butterfly, digoxin is probably the most beautiful medication there ever was.

Don’t let anyone, especially your doctor, tell you that A-Fib isn’t that serious, or you should just learn to live with it. (Beat Your A-Fib, page 165)

Cook referred to the symptoms collectively as polar anemia. Researchers today use the term winter over-syndrome. But it's essentially the same thing. A prevailing theory suggests it's a form of hypothyroidism , which is associated with depression and atrial fibrillation and could thus account for the cerebral symptoms and the cardiac symptoms that most concerned Cook before scurvy took hold.

Reyes is ten years older than José and is afflicted with atrial fibrillation. He is on three medications, including a blood thinner, in addition to which something called a “Medtronic cardiac loop recorder” has been surgically implanted in his chest, in the hollow between two ribs; this device monitors his heart 24/7 and transmits the data to Medtronic in Minneapolis, from which it is available to his cardiologist by computer or smartphone. As José described it and as Reyes confirmed, the loop recorder has a five-year battery, can essentially transmit a continuous EKG to Medtronic from anywhere in the country as well as from many locations beyond its borders—and is approximately the size of one of these techno nettles that are stuck to her gear and clothes.

3.5 A 45-year-old woman is noted to have dizziness, pounding of the chest, and fatigue of 3 hours’ duration. On examination, she is noted to have a blood pressure (BP) of 110/70 mm Hg and heart rate of 180 bpm. She is noted on ECG to have atrial fibrillation, and a prior baseline ECG showed delta waves. The ER physician counsels the patient regarding cardioversion, but the patient declines. Which of the following is the best therapy for her condition? A. Digoxin B. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor C. Calcium channel blocker D. Procainamide

An irregular heartbeat. In this case it’s probably paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.” And that means…? “It means that her symptoms come and go. They can last from a few minutes to several hours.