Atrial Fibrillation
 
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THE EKG SIGNAL

 

The Parts of the EKG Signal

    The first upward pulse of the EKG, the P wave, is formed when the atria (the two upper chambers of the heart) contract to pump blood into the ventricles. In A-Fib you will see many "fibrillation" beats instead of one P wave.
     The next large upward spike segment, the QRS Complex, is formed when the ventricles (the two lower chambers of the heart) are contracting to pump out blood.
    The next section, the ST segment, measures the end of the contraction of the ventricles to the beginning of the rest period before the ventricles begin to contract for the next beat.
    The next slight rising section, the T wave, measures the resting period of the ventricles.
    (from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. File: EKG complex.png)

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About A-Fib.com: A-Fib.com was created by Steve S. Ryan to provide patients with unbiased A-Fib-related information in a format the average person can understand. His wife, Patti, edits A-Fib.com's content to make it readable by the lay (non-medical) person and relevant to patients. Steve is not a medical doctor (though he did earn a Ph.D. from Ohio State University).
    After three failed ablations in 1997, Steve locked himself in a medical library armed with a medical dictionary and read everything he could find about A-Fib. He tediously waded through the medical jargon doctors and researchers use, and emerged from the library with an understanding of A-Fib and a plan of action.
    Steve was cured of his A-Fib in 1998 by a Pulmonary Vein Ablation (Isolation) procedure. (Read about his story in the PersonalExperiences section of A-Fib.com.) After his cure, Steve felt compelled to write A-Fib.com in order to spare other patients the difficulty he had in finding understandable information about A-Fib.
    A-Fib.com is deliberately not affiliated with any medical school, company, doctor or other organization. It does not accept advertising.
    Though inclined toward Pulmonary Vein Ablation as a cure for A-Fib, Steve tries to maintain an open mind and be free of any conflict of interest. He tries to not only report on recent A-Fib research, but also draw conclusions and make recommendations for A-Fib patients.


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    Disclaimer: the authors of this Web site are not medical doctors and are not affiliated with any medical school or organization. The information on this site is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Nothing contained in this service is intended to be for medical diagnosis or treatment.