On an electrocardiogram (ECG), which measures the electrical activity of the heart, a distinct pattern can be differentiated in atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter. Atrial fibrillation can occur with or without underlying heart disease. In atrial fibrillation the atria beat chaotically, resulting in irregular rhythms of the ventricle as well. In atrial flutter there is a premature electrical impulse that arises in the atria, resulting in a faster than normal heart rate, either regular or irregular in frequency, whereas in atrial fibrillation there is quivering type of contraction of the heart muscles, resulting in a rapid and abnormally paced heart rhythm, also referred to as arrhythmia. Atrial flutter is often a precursor to atrial fibrillation. Both conditions refer to a rhythm problem that originates in the upper chambers of the heart, that is, the atria. In both atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter this rhythm is disturbed and synchronization is lost between the atria and ventricles. The heart works with exceptional synchronization between the various atrial and ventricular structures, resulting in a consistent rhythmic pattern. The valve between the right atrium and right ventricle is called the tricuspid valve, where the valve between the left atrium and left ventricle is called the mitral valve. Valves are provided between each atrial and ventricular pair, each on the left and right side. The two top chambers are called the atria (single: atrium) whereas the bottom chambers are called the ventricles.
Atrial Fibrillation and Atrial Flutter in DogsĪ dog's heart is divided into four chambers.
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