Tag: Is a flutter worse than AFib?

Symptoms of atrial flutter are similar to those of AFib. They include a fluttering feeling in the chest, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, dizziness, fatigue, and difficulty exercising .

The symptoms of atrial flutter tend to be less severe than the symptoms of AFib . People with atrial flutter have a tendency to develop AFib, even after treatment.

Pharmacologic Cardioversion Dofetilide is effective in 70-80% of patients with atrial flutter. This drug should be initiated in an inpatient setting. Ibutilide [17, 18, 19, 20] is also effective, converting recent-onset atrial flutter to sinus rhythm in 63% of patients with a single infusion.

Atrial flutter is a condition where the atria of the heart rapidly and regularly beat due to an anomaly in the heart’s electrical system that usually results in a tachycardia. It produces feelings like near-fainting, rapid heartbeats (palpitations), mild shortness of breath, and fatigue .

Sometimes, atrial flutter goes away by itself and no further action is needed . If it persists, your doctor may pursue any of the following treatments: Treatment of any underlying conditions. Catheter ablation — procedure to destroy the errant electrical pathways; performed together with an electrophysiological study.