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Suggest Treatment For Persistent Atrial Fibrillation
Question: Hello,
My name is XXXX (age 50) and this querry is about my Dad, XXXXXXX XXXX(age 78). In the medical history section, I think I've included everything relevant. I'll be attaching a PDF file that has 7 six-second EKG strips. Recently I bought an EKG sensor from Vernier Corp. They make close to a hundred different scientific sensors for education purposes, mostly for middle school and high school. The sensors I've acquired (about a dozen different kinds) are for research I'll be doing this spring. I'm currently working towards a PhD in experimental psychology. Plus, I really like measuring things and collecting data and seeing how things work. That's why I started taking EKG readings of my Dad's heart.
As I've outlined in the medical history section, my Dad has had his first real sustained episode of afib, starting about Nov. 1st. We were both expecting it to resolve after his doctor uped the amiodarone to 200 mg. But that hasn't happened.
He has great doctors and we all get along very well, and have a great relationship with them. I personally have an information processing deficit from a head injury a long time ago. Basically it takes me much longer than it should to process information. (But once I do, I usually retain it better than anyone else who is working with me with the same information.) So I was hoping to get some preliminary thoughts from you about the current situation.
Here are my questions:
Q1. First of all, can you tell me if my recordings look like they've been done correctly. My sensor is a just a 3-lead one, and I haven't been able to find much on the web to that is done with just 3 leads, so I don't have anything to compare to. I haven't found any tracing that look like what I got with my Dad. On the second page of the PDF I'm attaching, I've included a 6-second EKG strip of my heart. I've done lots on myself, and they always look like this one --- and nothing like my Dad's. I also don't understand the huge difference in the difference in mV potential mine vs. his? Anyway, if you could first, verify that what I'm doing is correct, and that the strips are showing something meaningful and valid, or not, that would be the most important thing. Then, if they are meaningful.....
Q2. What do you see when you look at the EKG strips, moving from the first one in December, then through the other ones up to the present? His HR has slowed a bit, but that seems like the only thing that's different?
Q3. We'll be seeing Dr. A. today. And I'd like to have some sort of idea what you think he might say about things. A different rate control med? (probably not I think) A different rhythm control med? Increase the dosage of the current med(s)? Send him to the hospital to get converted over there, now? Something else?
Thank you very much!
XXXX
YYYY@YYYY
My name is XXXX (age 50) and this querry is about my Dad, XXXXXXX XXXX(age 78). In the medical history section, I think I've included everything relevant. I'll be attaching a PDF file that has 7 six-second EKG strips. Recently I bought an EKG sensor from Vernier Corp. They make close to a hundred different scientific sensors for education purposes, mostly for middle school and high school. The sensors I've acquired (about a dozen different kinds) are for research I'll be doing this spring. I'm currently working towards a PhD in experimental psychology. Plus, I really like measuring things and collecting data and seeing how things work. That's why I started taking EKG readings of my Dad's heart.
As I've outlined in the medical history section, my Dad has had his first real sustained episode of afib, starting about Nov. 1st. We were both expecting it to resolve after his doctor uped the amiodarone to 200 mg. But that hasn't happened.
He has great doctors and we all get along very well, and have a great relationship with them. I personally have an information processing deficit from a head injury a long time ago. Basically it takes me much longer than it should to process information. (But once I do, I usually retain it better than anyone else who is working with me with the same information.) So I was hoping to get some preliminary thoughts from you about the current situation.
Here are my questions:
Q1. First of all, can you tell me if my recordings look like they've been done correctly. My sensor is a just a 3-lead one, and I haven't been able to find much on the web to that is done with just 3 leads, so I don't have anything to compare to. I haven't found any tracing that look like what I got with my Dad. On the second page of the PDF I'm attaching, I've included a 6-second EKG strip of my heart. I've done lots on myself, and they always look like this one --- and nothing like my Dad's. I also don't understand the huge difference in the difference in mV potential mine vs. his? Anyway, if you could first, verify that what I'm doing is correct, and that the strips are showing something meaningful and valid, or not, that would be the most important thing. Then, if they are meaningful.....
Q2. What do you see when you look at the EKG strips, moving from the first one in December, then through the other ones up to the present? His HR has slowed a bit, but that seems like the only thing that's different?
Q3. We'll be seeing Dr. A. today. And I'd like to have some sort of idea what you think he might say about things. A different rate control med? (probably not I think) A different rhythm control med? Increase the dosage of the current med(s)? Send him to the hospital to get converted over there, now? Something else?
Thank you very much!
XXXX
YYYY@YYYY
Brief Answer:
Following answer to your queries...
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thank you for asking!
I read your queries and would try to answer them.
A1. Your recordings look correct for me. The difference on ECG potential is that the monitor is of help in determining the rhythm but not cardiac axis (cardiac orientation within chest). As a result different cardiac axis will be recorded as different mV potential. So your recordings of ECG are meaningful.
A2. When i look at your dad ECG I see atrial fibrillation with fast ventricular rate (HR) on the first ECG, which gradually is put under control and stabilized on the last two ECG.
A3. If I was his doctor I would have stopped any arrhythmic drug (Amiodarone), because your father has persistent atrial fibrillation. It's not recommended to insist on antiarrhythmic drugs while you have persistent atrial fibrillation.
Also if I was your father doctor i would have increased the dose of betablockers up to 100 mg to control HR. If this wasn't sufficient i would add digoxin to control HR.
Hope this will be of help!
Wish you and your father health!
Dr. Benard
Following answer to your queries...
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thank you for asking!
I read your queries and would try to answer them.
A1. Your recordings look correct for me. The difference on ECG potential is that the monitor is of help in determining the rhythm but not cardiac axis (cardiac orientation within chest). As a result different cardiac axis will be recorded as different mV potential. So your recordings of ECG are meaningful.
A2. When i look at your dad ECG I see atrial fibrillation with fast ventricular rate (HR) on the first ECG, which gradually is put under control and stabilized on the last two ECG.
A3. If I was his doctor I would have stopped any arrhythmic drug (Amiodarone), because your father has persistent atrial fibrillation. It's not recommended to insist on antiarrhythmic drugs while you have persistent atrial fibrillation.
Also if I was your father doctor i would have increased the dose of betablockers up to 100 mg to control HR. If this wasn't sufficient i would add digoxin to control HR.
Hope this will be of help!
Wish you and your father health!
Dr. Benard
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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