Atrial fibrillation is a type of arrhythmia (abnormal electrical heart rhythm), that originates in the upper chambers of the heart (atrium). It usually occurs spontaneously and tends to cause a rapid heartbeat. It may resolve on its own, or it may require an intervention to restore to the heartbeat to a normal rhythm, such as a medication or an electrical cardioversion. An electrical cardioversion is when the heart is “shocked” back into a normal rhythm using electricity from special paddles. It can be permanent, or can occur intermittently, known as paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
Atrial fibrillation is not a life-threatening problem, but may cause symptoms of palpitations (awareness of heartbeat), rapid heart beating, low blood pressure, shortness of breath, or even chest pain. Some patients may be completely asymptomatic, and can be unaware of the arrhythmia.
Most patients take a blood thinner like Coumadin, as there may be a small risk of blood clots and stroke. This is a commonly used medication. At any given time, more than 30 million people in the United States are taking Coumadin (or another blood thinner) for various reasons.
Atrial fibrillation medical expert witness specialties include cardiology, interventional cardiology, cardiovascular, surgery, pathology, cardiac electrophysiology, cardiac anesthesiology, internal medicine, family medicine, hematology, emergency medicine, vascular neurology, and neurointervention hematology.