Atrial fibrillation with RVR is irregular electrical activity in the heart that causes a rapid heartbeat. It is not a disease but a malfunction of the atrial cell pacemaker and can lead to complications if chronic. Symptoms may not be present, and it is often identified through an ECG. Complications include hypertension and fibrosis of the atria.
Atrial fibrillation with RVR (rapid ventricular response) is irregular electrical activity in the atria of the heart that leads to abnormal contraction there and in the ventricles. It is characterized by an excessively rapid heartbeat, but may or may not cause symptoms in some patients. There are several causes of atrial fibrillation, which is not a disease in its own right, but a malfunction of the atrial cell pacemaker. Complications include gradual scarring of the atrial muscle and become more likely if the problem becomes chronic.
The most common variety of cardiac arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation with RVR, occurs when the electrical activity of the atria is irregular, causing more frequent ventricular contractions and increasing heart rate. The normal heartbeat is called sinus rhythm and is measured with an electrocardiogram (ECG). The ECG divides a single heartbeat into six waves, each of which has a clearly defined order and duration. Excessive excitation of the atrial cells causes the electrical waves to become spatially distinct and change their normal shape, resulting in an ECG display unique to this condition and used to diagnose it.
The rapid ventricular response that accompanies some cases of atrial fibrillation occurs when heart muscle cells in the atria overcome signals from their intrinsic pacemaker, rapidly firing out of their normal pattern, an activity which then spreads to the ventricles. Atrial electrical signals must pass through the heart’s atrioventricular (AV) node for the contraction of a heartbeat to continue to the ventricular muscle. The AV node cannot transmit all the fast atrial electrical activity, so the ventricular contraction rate remains lower than the atrial rate, but is still abnormally fast. Any ventricular rate above 100 beats per minute (bpm) can be termed a rapid ventricular response.
Rapid heart rate or tachycardia can strain the heart, and patients may experience shortness of breath or chest pain. Sometimes, a shaking or a heartbeat is reported. However, many cases are asymptomatic and are only identified when a patient receives an ECG. This problem is not a condition in itself but a consequence of other health ailments. Lung disease, congestive heart failure, or a history of cardiovascular disease increase a patient’s risk of having such complications.
Atrial fibrillation with RVR is more likely to cause health problems if it becomes a chronic condition than if it only happens once. As the atrial walls dilate over time, sensors in the physiological feedback system that monitors blood pressure are affected, and hypertension can occur. Fibrosis of the atria, the formation of excessive fibrous tissue, occurs during prolonged atrial fibrillation due to scarring. Additionally, the rapid ventricular response could lead to ventricular fibrillation, a life-threatening condition if RVR causes the contraction rate to exceed 300 bpm.
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