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Date of Award
Spring 2025
Degree Name
Master of Medical Science (Physician Assistant)
Department
Physician Assistant; College of Health Sciences
First Advisor
Kaitlyn Gamber
Abstract
Atrial fibrillation is the most common form of arrythmia affecting nearly 40 million people globally. Due to the high risk of developing blood clots, this arrythmia is the leading cause of cardiac related strokes. There are many different therapeutic approaches available to help manage and control atrial fibrillation in patients. The more conservative approaches to help manage this condition include regular exercise, improved diet, and weight management. Pharmacologic management for a stable patient includes antiarrhythmic medications and direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) based on their CHA2DS2 score. For an unstable patient who is not hemodynamically stable or shows signs of heart failure, they will need to undergo cardioversion. More drastic approaches to manage atrial fibrillation long term include catheter ablation, the open-heart maze procedure, AV node ablation requiring a pacemaker and left atrial appendage closure via watchman device or atriclip. While managed atrial fibrillation can be mild in some cases, it can also be very debilitating. Atrial fibrillation can also go unnoticed and cause severe outcomes when it is too late to control. It is vital that these patients are managed and receive a proper diagnosis and individual treatment plan. Therefore, it is important to be up to date on the current advanced research and studies in this field and update best practices accordingly to provide the best level of patient care.
Recommended Citation
Willoughby, Kirsten, "Approach to Early Recognition and Treatment of a Leading Progressive Disease: Atrial Fibrillation" (2025). Capstone Showcase. 51.
https://scholarworks.arcadia.edu/showcase/2025/pa/51
Approach to Early Recognition and Treatment of a Leading Progressive Disease: Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is the most common form of arrythmia affecting nearly 40 million people globally. Due to the high risk of developing blood clots, this arrythmia is the leading cause of cardiac related strokes. There are many different therapeutic approaches available to help manage and control atrial fibrillation in patients. The more conservative approaches to help manage this condition include regular exercise, improved diet, and weight management. Pharmacologic management for a stable patient includes antiarrhythmic medications and direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) based on their CHA2DS2 score. For an unstable patient who is not hemodynamically stable or shows signs of heart failure, they will need to undergo cardioversion. More drastic approaches to manage atrial fibrillation long term include catheter ablation, the open-heart maze procedure, AV node ablation requiring a pacemaker and left atrial appendage closure via watchman device or atriclip. While managed atrial fibrillation can be mild in some cases, it can also be very debilitating. Atrial fibrillation can also go unnoticed and cause severe outcomes when it is too late to control. It is vital that these patients are managed and receive a proper diagnosis and individual treatment plan. Therefore, it is important to be up to date on the current advanced research and studies in this field and update best practices accordingly to provide the best level of patient care.
Comments
Atrial fibrillation(AF) is the most common form of arrythmia affecting nearly 40 million people globally. Due to the high risk of developing blood clots, this arrythmia is the leading cause of cardiac related strokes and is associated with substantial risk of morbidity and mortality. It is vital that these patients are managed and receive a proper diagnosis and individual treatment plan. Therefore, it is important to be up to date on the latest advancements in research to regularly update best practices. Ultimately, delivering optimal patient outcomes for such a dangerous disease process if improperly treated.