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Clinical Cases in Cardiology pp 227–239Cite as

Atrial Fibrillation and Related Disorders

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Abstract

After a clinical case about atrial fibrillation (AF) and one of its complications, this chapter discusses AF and its related disorders. AF is the most common sustained arrhythmia in clinical practice, characterized by chaotic and irregular atrial electrical activity. The most common symptoms are palpitation or dyspnea, but in some cases, AF may be asymptomatic. Specific diagnosis of AF is made by ECG. In AF treatment we have to consider two aspects: prevention of thromboembolism and treatment of the arrhythmia. Therefore, it is important to assess the thromboembolic risk (CHA2DS2VASc score) to decide when an anticoagulant therapy is indicated. About arrhythmia treatment, the choice is between rhythm control (try to maintain sinus rhythm) and rate control (control ventricular rate during AF). AF is related to several clinical disorders: heart failure, stroke, tachycardiomyopathy, acute coronary syndromes, troponin elevation, and cognitive dysfunction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinica di Cardiologia e Aritmologia, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Conca, Ancona, 60100, Italy

    Jenny Ricciotti & Alessio Menditto

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  1. Jenny Ricciotti
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  2. Alessio Menditto
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Correspondence to Alessio Menditto .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Cardiology Clinic, Università Politecnica delle Marche Ospedali Riuniti Ancona, Ancona, Italy

    Alessandro Capucci

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Ricciotti, J., Menditto, A. (2015). Atrial Fibrillation and Related Disorders. In: Capucci, A. (eds) Clinical Cases in Cardiology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19926-9_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19926-9_20

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-19925-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-19926-9

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