| fibrillation | <physiology> A small, local, involuntary contraction of muscle, invisible under the skin, resulting from spontaneous activation of single muscle cells or muscle fibres. (12 Nov 1997) |
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| fibrillation threshold | Least intensity of an electrical stimulus that will initiate fibrillation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| fibrillation, atrial | An abnormal irregular heart rhythm whereby electrical signals are generated chaotically throughout the upper chambers (atria) of the heart. Although many persons with atrial fibrillation have no symptoms, the most common symptom is palpitations, an uncomfortable awareness of the rapid and irregular heartbeat. Atrial fibrillation can cause blood clots that travel from the heart to the brain, causing stroke. Treatment of atrial fibrillation involves controlling the risk factors, medications to slow the heart rate and/or convert the heart to normal rhythm, and preventing complications of blood clotting. (12 Dec 1998) |
| fibrillation, auricular | Essentially the same as atrial fibrillation. (12 Dec 1998) |
| fibrillation, ventricular | An abnormal irregular heart rhythm whereby there are very rapid uncoordinated fluttering contractions of the lower chambers (ventricles) of the heart. Venticular fibrillation disrupts the synchrony between the heartbeat and the pulse beat. Ventricular fibrillation is commonly associated with heart attacks or scarring of the heart muscle from previous heart attack. Ventricular fibrillation is life threatening. (12 Dec 1998) |
| atrial fibrillation | <cardiology> A condition where there is disorganised electrical conduction in the atria, resulting in ineffective pumping of blood into the ventricle. Acronym: AF (02 Jan 1998) |
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| ventricular fibrillation | <cardiology> A disorganised chaotic contraction of the ventricle that fails to effectively eject blood from the ventricle. During ventricular fibrillation the patient is unconscious and will die if emergency intervention is not undertaken (defibrillation). (12 Jan 1998) |
| flutter-fibrillation | Mixture of atrial flutter (FF) waves and fibrillation (ff) waves in the electrocardiogram. Synonym: fibrilloflutter, flutter-fibrillation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| flutter-fibrillation waves | The waves of atrial flutter usually best seen in ECG leads 2, 3, and AVF. (A small f indicates atrial fibrillation). Synonym: fibrillary waves, fibrillatory waves, flutter-fibrillation waves. (05 Mar 2000) |