Atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter

The heart system can be said to be the most important system in our body. If there is a problem with our heart system, our whole body will become very weak. Sudden cardiac arrest may even cause people to lose their lives. There are many kinds of heart diseases. Atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter are both hereditary. So what is the difference between atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter?

There is a difference between atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation. Atrial flutter is a rapid ectopic arrhythmia that occurs in the new chamber. The impulse frequency is faster than atrial tachycardia. The electrocardiogram shows that the cardiac depolarization wave disappears and depolarization waves of basically the same size, shape, and spacing appear, with a heart rate of 250 to 350 beats per minute.

Atrial fibrillation, abbreviated as AF, is a very common psychological disorder, second only to premature beats. AF is a condition in which the myocardium loses its normal regular contraction activity and is replaced by rapid, uncoordinated, weak peristalsis, causing the atrium to lose its normal effective contraction. AF lasts for more than three weeks and is considered persistent. AF is divided into acute and chronic types according to time. Chronic AF is further divided into paroxysmal, persistent and permanent types. AF is an important risk factor for increased mortality.

Atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation are two types of arrhythmias that are similar in treatment. The difference is that for patients with atrial flutter, when they count their own pulse, it may not be particularly regular, but it is regular; for patients with atrial fibrillation, when they count their own pulse, each beat is different from another, and the heart sounds heard with a stethoscope vary in strength, which is equivalent to an absolutely irregular heart rhythm. On the electrocardiogram, atrial fibrillation is a fine atrial fibrillation wave, that is, a small f wave, and its frequency is generally greater than 300 times/minute. If you see a large sawtooth wave on the electrocardiogram, it is atrial flutter, a large F wave with a frequency greater than 250 times/minute. In this case, not all the signals are transmitted to the ventricles. If they can be transmitted to the ventricles, it is ventricular fibrillation. A part of the atrioventricular node prevents all atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation waves from being transmitted, which has a blocking effect. Finally, we see what the ventricular rate is. Ultimately, what is controlled is the ventricular rate, and it is fine as long as the ventricular rate is not too fast.

However, the treatments for atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter are similar, both require anticoagulation to prevent the occurrence of embolism. You must take anticoagulants on a regular basis. Some people think that taking antiplatelet drugs is enough, but that is not the case. Antiplatelet drugs cannot replace drugs like warfarin and dabigatran etexilate. Therefore, if you have atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter, you must go to the hospital and do relevant examinations, including thyroid function, cardiac ultrasound, and electrolytes. General examinations should be taken seriously, including dynamic electrocardiogram examination, which is also very important. Patients with long-term atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter may have latent conduction and a slower heart rate. It is important to evaluate their normal fastest heart rate, slowest heart rate, and average heart rate. These are all helpful for treatment.