Since being on Beta-blockers when ever I visit A&E my ECG is in sinus, my pulse is 80 and my BP 140/80. So everything is within normal limits. When I was first admitted with what turned out to be pneumonia my heart rate was above 150 and my BP way above 180. I have tried explaining that the figures now are depressed because of the betablockers--my heart rate when I am not having an episode of increased heart rate--no palpitations now-- is around 70 and when I am really relaxed it as been below 60, my BP normally runs at 110/70 and when I am really relaxed(on beta blockers it has been 90/60). So when I see the cardiologist what tests can I expect to confirm or otherwise AF. When i was discharged having been treated for the pneumonia I was told my blood markers were down so the antibiotics were treating the infection and the AF which was provoked by the infection had resolved. It was only after a few weeks when I contacted my GP because I still felt ill that he prescribed betablockers.
Hi I had many types of arrhythmia and AFib for decades. Love to reply but could you ask the specific questions you would like addressing. There is no question evaluating an ECG if you are in Sinus Rhythm, Atrial Fibrillation or other types of palpitations except if you have paroxismal AF or tachycardia which does not present at the time of the ECG. If AF comes and goes spontaneously it will naturally not show on an ECG if you are not in AF at that time. Constant AF will always show very clearly on an ECG.
I would be pleased to address your questions to the best of my ability. Fyg I was under one of the very best Electrophysiologists in the UK and now arguably the best in Singapore.
With a heart attack, they can do tests to show it has happened. As far as I know, they can't do a test to show that AFib has happened. They need to catch it happening. The usual way to do this is with some sort of monitor, sometime called a Holter monitor - which is usually a 24 hour monitor. There are types of monitor that can record longer periods of time. The monitor may show short runs of AF that you are not aware of as well as the longer episodes that you would probably notice. See healthline.com/health/holte... for a little more information or the Afib forum on Health Unlocked for more general Afib-related information.
The walls of the ventricles are relatively stiff, so the ventricles cannot be fully filled by the low-pressure blood returning to the heart... the atria are thin-walled, so they can be filled by the low-pressure returning blood, and fill the ventricles.
The P-wave on the ECG are the contractions of the atria, so absence of p-waves is an indication that your atria are not working.
(The T-wave is the relaxation of the ventricles - so the t-wave should be before the p-wave).
When the atria fibrillate, you can see "fibrillations" in the T-P segment of the ecg complex. They try to tell us that atrial flutter is different to AF - and the main visible difference is the frequency of the flutter or fibrillation).
I think that the main criteria that triggers AF indication on consumer ecgs is the variation in the pulse rate.
My atria have been zapped by three cardioversions and two catheter ablations, so I do not get the "fibrillations" in the t-p... but I seldom get visible (un-paced) p-waves.
When I had a Kardia, they told me that the best way to detect p-waves was to take the ecg with the device on my knee - so I have just tried that with my Apple watch - and I can just see what might be p-waves, when my pacemaker is not pacing.
I wish you good luck in finding a competent cardiologist or electrophysiologist - I have been very unimpressed with my "center of excellence".
Hi, my mum has AF but it was very hard to catch on an ECG and even a 24 hour monitor didn’t show it because she didn’t go into AF every day. Eventually it was caught almost by chance when a consultant was checking her pulse about to discharge her after 8 hours monitoring when she was unwell one day and suddenly said “quick, on the bed let’s get you hooked up”. So the key is persistence, asking for asking for a monitor for a week or even longer until it is caught.
I don’t mean to worry you but in the meantime if you have any funny turns or odd episodes (in my mum’s case speaking unusually slowly) phone 111 or 999, because untreated AF can cause other conditions which are need urgent or emergency care.
Hello Nimblefingers, Yes it can be a bit like the hunt for RedOctober. I too share your problem and need to get the attention of the men (or Ladies) in white coats! Just recently I purchased a new BP monitor from Lloyds Pharmacy which detects Afib as well as the usual stuff plus pulse rate. It can record the daily results up to 60 days so you can present the Medics with reasonably reliable records of the many variations you will see with Afib. I also have a little portable Oximeter which can record heart rates along with your oxygen level. Worth about the £60+ it cost. I hope it will persuade the Doctors to get me a new Cardioversion or Ablation to end this problem. Certainly the Cardiac Nurse on Health Unlocked told me there is no reason why I should not get this level of care at 76. We shall see!! Take care in this heat!
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