Fibrillation - Cardiology

Cardiology

There are two major classes of cardiac fibrillation: atrial fibrillation and ventricular fibrillation.

• Atrial fibrillation is an irregular and uncoordinated contraction of the cardiac muscle of atria. It can be a chronic condition, usually treated with anticoagulation and sometimes with conversion to normal sinus rhythm. In this conditions the normal electrical pulses coming from the sinoatrial node to the artria are overwhelmed by parasitic electrical impulses generated in atrial muscles themselves.

• Ventricular fibrillation is an irregular and uncoordinated contraction of the cardiac muscle of ventricles. It is a common cause of cardiac arrest and is usually fatal if not reversed by defibrillation.

Fibrillation may sometimes be used after heart surgery to stop the heart from beating while any minor leaks are stitched up.