There are 3 main options for people with atrial flutter. It is important to prevent this either by slowing down the irregular heart rate with medications, or correcting the short circuit altogether so that normal electrical function resumes.
If left untreated, these muscular chambers can weaken and distend, resulting in heart failure. Atrial flutter causes the heart’s lower chambers to pump too quickly.This may be warfarin, or one of the new generation of blood thinners: Pradaxa, Xarelto, or Eliquis. Depending on a number of factors, many patients will require a blood thinner to prevent blood clot formation and stroke. This sometimes results in formation of blood clots which if released into circulation can cause stroke. Blood flow in the heart’s upper chambers slows down, and can stagnate in the “nooks and crannies” of the left atrium.These are the key symptoms of atrial flutter, and are not in themselves life threatening. This produces breathlessness, dizziness, and fatigue, often accompanied by palpitations. The heart becomes inefficient at pumping blood around the body.There are 3 important consequences of atrial flutter: Medications including beta blockers (metoprolol, atenolol, etc), calcium channel blockers (verapamil, diltiazem), and digoxin help the AV node filter out more of these rapid impulses to bring the heart rate into a normal range, even while the upper chambers remain in short circuit. The AV node will normally allow only half of these electrical impulses to reach the heart’s lower pumping chambers, resulting in a pulse rate of 150 beats per minute. During atrial flutter, both the left and right atria cannot pump effectively at this very rapid rate.
The short circuit is triggered by ectopic beats or “electrical sparks” usually arising from the left atrium. When the normal sequence of electrical activity is disrupted, an abnormal heart rhythm will result.Ītrial flutter typically refers to an electrical short circuit involving the right atrium which cycles at around 300 times per minute. The SA node, the AV node, and the specialized electrical cables of the lower chambers of the heart need to function correctly to generate the normal heartbeat. As the electrical impulse is delivered to the ventricles, it causes them to contract and to pump blood to the lungs and the body. The AV node is a critical structure in the heart as it is normally forms the only electrical connection between the upper and lower chambers. The impulse reaches the atrio-ventricular node (AV node) in the centre of the heart, and is then transmitted into the lower chambers via specialized electrical cables called “bundle branches” that course through the right and left ventricles. It fires more rapidly during exercise and stress, and slows down during rest or sleep.Įach electrical impulse from the SA node spreads through the right and left atria like a ripple in a pond, causing the chambers to contract. The SA node sets the heart’s rhythm and rate by firing 60 to 100 times a minute. Every normal heartbeat starts with an electrical impulse generated by the heart’s own pacemaker or “spark plug”, called the sino-atrial node (SA node). The heart has an electrical system that co-ordinates its pump function. The left and right atria are positioned side by side and form the heart’s upper chambers, while the left and right ventricles form the lower chambers. The left ventricle then pumps blood to the rest of the body via the arteries. The left atrium receives blood from the lungs and channels it through another valve into the left ventricle. The left side of the heart also has 2 chambers: the left atrium and the left ventricle. The right ventricle then pumps blood to the lungs where it collects oxygen to deliver to the rest of the body. The right atrium receives blood as it returns from the body and channels it through a valve into the right ventricle. The right side of the heart has 2 chambers: the right atrium and the right ventricle.
The heart is a muscular pump that circulates blood around the body.
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