Atrial fibrillation (AF) – Medical point of view
AF is an arrhythmia characterized by chaotic cardiac beats that are irregularly irregular. The heartbeat frequency can even be beyond 150 beats per minute.
Welcome to the Icardio.ca website, a source of information and popularization dedicated to cardiology.
Please note that this site is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical consultation with a healthcare professional.
Icardio.ca is intended to be a support tool for the patient, an extension of the medical consultation. Written in simple, easy-to-understand language, it provides a better comprehension of the structure and functioning of the heart. This is the basis for understanding cardiovascular disease, the diagnostic approach, and the challenges of therapies.
It is also an educational reference for students in the health field and is suitable as well for anyone who wants to know more about cardiology.
Similarly, Icardio.ca is proving to be a very useful reference tool for doctors concerned about their patients’ understanding.
At Icardio.ca, we know that patients can sometimes feel concerned when they see a health professional. Time is often limited, questions are numerous, and understanding the state of one’s heart condition can be complex.
We aim to fill these gaps by providing in-depth general information, which can also be used as a complement to a medical consultation.
Likewise, we aim to be a valuable and appreciated resource for doctors, supporting them in the explanations they provide to their patients, and helping them to gain a clear and precise understanding of their heart problem and its treatment.
Cardiology is a medical specialty that evolves constantly. Technological advances, cutting-edge diagnostic methods, and innovative treatments are improving the quality of life of patients with heart conditions and, in some cases, prolonging their lives.
New treatment options, including the use of hemodynamic catheters, offer a variety of solutions to traditional cardiac surgery in special cases.
Icardio.ca is committed to reporting on the latest advances in cardiology and helping to better understand treatment options for optimal heart health.
The way care is provided has changed significantly over the past few decades. We have moved from paternalism, where the doctor was the only one with the absolute science, to a patient-centered approach to care.
That concept was not ideal as it left the patient with several concerns. The patient’s care should have been more personalized.
Adding the patient-experience approach to the team of caregivers enables the patient to fully understand what is happening. He can then interact with the medical team and actively participate in his treatment plan.
All too often, the reality of the patient’s life is overlooked. Who can best answer questions about his day-to-day way of life? Or, who can fully imagine the confusion and anxiety that a person went through before arriving at the discomfort he feels today?
The patient-partner approach is this new concept of care in which the patient is as much a part of the team as any other healthcare provider, including a peer who previously benefitted from this innovative patient-partner initiative.
AF is an arrhythmia characterized by chaotic cardiac beats that are irregularly irregular. The heartbeat frequency can even be beyond 150 beats per minute.
Normal heart function is closely linked to oxygenation.
Its precious fuel is delivered to the heart by the coronary arteries. Any reduction in oxygen supply can have serious and sometimes irreversible effects on the heart.
Let’s take a closer look at the coronary arteries.
The electrocardiogram is the recording of the electricity generated by your heart.
The electricity of the heart can be recorded by the installation of small electrical sensors on the skin.
An ECG is specific to each person. It is like a fingerprint.
The heart has an electrical system that synchronizes its contraction efficiently.
The upper chambers, the atriaThe atria are two of the four cavities of the heart. There is a right atrium and a left atrium. They are like reservoirs for the right and left ventricules., must first contract to fill the ventricles in the lower part of the heart. These, in turn, will compress and, in an inescapable upward movement, spill their contents into the large vessels at the top.
Tricuspid valves include the pulmonary and the aortic valves. Each has 3 cusps that fit onto a fibrous ring in the cardiac skeleton. These valves separate the pulmonary artery from the right ventricle and the aorta from the left ventricle.
The 2 valves that separate the ventricles from the atriaThe atria are two of the four cavities of the heart. There is a right atrium and a left atrium. They are like reservoirs for the right and left ventricules. are called atrioventricular valves. The tricuspid valve is located on the right side and the mitral valve is on the left.
Heart rate can be calculated by measuring the pulse. The 2 most frequently used pressure points for taking the pulse are in the neck (carotid artery) and on the wrist (radial artery).
The heart is an almost indefatigable muscular organ. It is located in the center of the thorax.
From the 14th day of fetal life, the heart begins its work. From then on, it is the central engine of bloodblood Blood comprises red cells, white cells, platelets, and plasma. Red cells carry oxygen and carbon dioxide. White cells are our defense system. Platelets prevent bleeding. Plasma is the liquid component of blood. It contains water, salts, circulation throughout the body.
In our body, bloodblood Blood comprises red cells, white cells, platelets, and plasma. Red cells carry oxygen and carbon dioxide. White cells are our defense system. Platelets prevent bleeding. Plasma is the liquid component of blood. It contains water, salts, pressure is what makes oxygenated bloodblood Blood comprises red cells, white cells, platelets, and plasma. Red cells carry oxygen and carbon dioxide. White cells are our defense system. Platelets prevent bleeding. Plasma is the liquid component of blood. It contains water, salts, travel through the arteries. Bloodblood Blood comprises red cells, white cells, platelets, and plasma. Red cells carry oxygen and carbon dioxide. White cells are our defense system. Platelets prevent bleeding. Plasma is the liquid component of blood. It contains water, salts, is propelled from the heart to the organs (brain, kidneys, digestive tract, muscles), then the bloodblood Blood comprises red cells, white cells, platelets, and plasma. Red cells carry oxygen and carbon dioxide. White cells are our defense system. Platelets prevent bleeding. Plasma is the liquid component of blood. It contains water, salts, returns through the veins to be reoxygenated by the lungs.
The heart is a muscular organ about the size of a closed fist. It is located in the center of the chest, between the 2 lungs. The heart is a marvelous, almost indefatigable organ. It enables bloodblood Blood comprises red cells, white cells, platelets, and plasma. Red cells carry oxygen and carbon dioxide. White cells are our defense system. Platelets prevent bleeding. Plasma is the liquid component of blood. It contains water, salts, to circulate throughout the body.
The heart has its own unique electrical system. Its function is to synchronise the contractions effectively.
The treadmill is a test in cardiology that evaluates, indirectly, possible blockages in the coronary arteries.
It also helps evaluate the cardiovascular condition.
This site is intended to provide information and make cardiology comprehensible for all patients; it is not a substitute for a doctor. It does, however, enable a better understanding of how the heart works, the many heart diseases that exist, the tests required to reach a diagnosis, and the drugs and other methods used to treat them.
Where the masculine is used herein, it shall be all-gender inclusive.