Which of the following is a hallmark of atrial fibrillation?

Study for the PANCE Cardiology Test. Enhance your knowledge with comprehensive flashcards and multiple-choice questions. Each question comes with hints and detailed explanations. Prepare thoroughly for your exam!

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a hallmark of atrial fibrillation?

Atrial fibrillation is defined by chaotic atrial electrical activity that produces an irregularly irregular ventricular rhythm. On ECG, there are no discrete P waves because the atria are fibrillating rather than contracting in an organized way. The ventricular response varies from beat to beat, giving unpredictable, irregular R-R intervals. Other findings described by the distractors belong to different conditions—fixed splitting of S2 with an ASD, sawtooth P waves of atrial flutter, and a continuous machinery murmur of patent ductus arteriosus. Thus, the hallmark of atrial fibrillation is an irregularly irregular rhythm with absent discrete P waves.

Atrial fibrillation is defined by chaotic atrial electrical activity that produces an irregularly irregular ventricular rhythm. On ECG, there are no discrete P waves because the atria are fibrillating rather than contracting in an organized way. The ventricular response varies from beat to beat, giving unpredictable, irregular R-R intervals. Other findings described by the distractors belong to different conditions—fixed splitting of S2 with an ASD, sawtooth P waves of atrial flutter, and a continuous machinery murmur of patent ductus arteriosus. Thus, the hallmark of atrial fibrillation is an irregularly irregular rhythm with absent discrete P waves.

More practice questions