Dear Colleague,

Your patient develops a sudden rapid heart rate with a narrow QRS complex. Could it be atrial fibrillation? How would you know? Remember these characteristic ECG changes:

• Absence of P waves
• Presence of fibrillatory waves
• Irregularly irregular R-R intervals
• Rapid ventricular rate (usually 100 to 150 beats per minutes, but can be faster or slower)

Also, be on the lookout for clinical signs and symptoms, including hypotension, heart failure, angina, shortness of breath, confusion, and syncope.  Learn more about this arrhythmia by exploring the articles in More Resources.

HEART BEATS: Responding to Atrial Fibrillation Mission Control: Managing Atrial Fibrillation Heart Matters: Post-op A-fib prophylaxis: Where are we headed? Comparison of Noninvasive Blood Pressure Measurements in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation WOUND & SKIN CARE: Basic ostomy management, part 2 Psychological Distress in Patients Diagnosed With Atrial Fibrillation: The State of the Science

Look for articles related to chronic disease management in our next issue, plus new articles and CEs!

Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP
Clinical Editor

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