A wandering atrial pacemaker (wandering atrial fibrillation) is a medical condition in which a person has an irregular pulse of on-off rhythm with no change in rhythm, as shown by symptoms such as a pounding heart, irregular heartbeats or even at times an unusual pause. The symptoms often appear suddenly, although they may take some time to become apparent. The person having a wandering atrial pacemaker will most often be found to be persisting in mild hypertension. This is because of the irregularity in the heartbeat, which may occur due to an ectopic pregnancy or other cardiovascular problems. Frequent or continuous dyspnea may also result in this condition.
The diagnosis of wandering atrial pacemaker can be based on the results of an electrocardiogram, which will show the electrical impulses of the heart. Wandering atrial pacemakers are basically the same as the one that shows left ventricular inflow, right ventricular inflow and the wave pattern of the heartbeat. Mention should be made that the symptoms generated by the following would suggest the presence of these arrhythmias. Frequent left sided chest pain, with the beats taking a longer time to reach the heart, and the patient complaining of shortness of breath after a few minutes. One of the other possible signs, where electrical impulses have been seen to travel up to the scalp, suggesting the occurrence of a heart attack in a person who is not having any chest pain or shortness breath, could be attributed to this type of arrhythmias.
Diagnosis of wandering atrial pacemaker can also be established using non-invasive methods, such as ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging. Once the cause has been identified, treatment will be initiated. Depending on the reason for the irregularity, treatment may be directed towards treating the irregularity, removing the digoxin toxins that might be responsible for generating the irregularity or treating the patients through implantation of the transducers into the heart.
As the name suggests, wandering atrial pacemaker malfunctions due to the accumulation of dioxins in the upper chambers of the heart. This buildup causes a gradual but steady weakening of the cardiac output, until the heart fails completely to circulate the proper blood count. When the heartbeat stops, the muscles contract, and the patient fall unconscious. Once this problem develops, it cannot be cured unless immediate medical intervention is provided. The duration of the failure of the heart varies from one patient to another, from few seconds to a few minutes.
There are three possible causes of wandering atrial pacemaker failure. These are the accumulation of non-esterified digoxin, blockage of the wap signal between the atria and the brain, and deposition of digoxin in the upper chamber of the heart. While accumulation of non-esterified digoxin is the most common reason behind this problem, blockage of the wap signal is not as common and is believed to be caused by malformations within the implantation site or the wafer thinning that may occur after implantation of the transducer. deposition of digoxin in the upper chamber of the heart is believed to be the second most frequent cause behind this problem, and results in permanent scarring of the implantation site.
Once a physician recognizes the symptoms of your atrial pacemaker, he will want to do some more tests in order to find out exactly what is causing it. In order to analyze the heartbeat, your doctor may order a reading called a saturation curve. This reading will show your unique heartbeat pattern compared to a normal person with a normal and healthy heart. Abnormalities in the amount and the location of the heartbeat can signal that the atrial pacemaker has failed.
A cardio-magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) scan will also be ordered in order to determine the abnormal heart rhythm. This test is simply done by placing your finger in the area of the pacemaker. The images captured by the CMR scan will show the different colors that show whether or not there is a normal rhythm. These color coded images can often help doctors determine whether or not the patient needs surgery in order to fix the problem. When problems are associated with an irregular heartbeat, surgery is considered to be one of the options. It is important that you do not perform surgery unless it is absolutely necessary, as there are many other complications that can arise from performing the wrong procedure.
While wandering atrial pacemaker patients are familiar with these symptoms, they may still surprise them. While you may experience a pounding heart and high blood pressure, there are other signs that will indicate that the atrial rhythm is not normal. The symptoms of a heart attack may indicate that something is wrong with your blood flow. Other symptoms that are similar to those that are experienced with having a heart attack include feelings of dizziness, nausea, and sweating. Your dizziness could come from dizziness caused by fainting, a change in weight, or a rapid or irregular heartbeat. If you experience any of these symptoms, it is a good idea to make an appointment with your doctor so that the cause of your dizziness can be determined.