Introduction
- Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common and becomes more common with increasing age
- It is often caused by heart disease but may occur in apparently healthy people. Other underlying causes of AF include:
- Hypertension
- Ischaemic heart disease
- Cardiomyopathy
- Cardiac valvular disease
- Hyperthyroidism
- Sinoatrial disease
- It may be triggered by other factors including excessive alcohol intake or caffeine
- It may be permanent, persistent or occur intermittently ( known as paroxysmal atrial fibrillation)
ECG Labels:
- Fluctuating baseline / fibrillation
- A normal PQRST wave
- No ‘P’ wave preceding QRS
Page last reviewed: 25 Feb 2022
