Atrial Fibrillation
Informative article on Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) covering its history, anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, prevention, and treatment. Includes facts, risk factors, and expert references from Mayo Clinic and academic sources.
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Atrial Fibrillation (AFib)
Symia Lloyd
Galen College of Nursing
Bio 1300: Anatomy & Physiology II- Theory
Prof. Amy Bohan
March 9,2025
Symia Lloyd
Galen College of Nursing
Bio 1300: Anatomy & Physiology II- Theory
Prof. Amy Bohan
March 9,2025
Atrial Fibrillation (AFib)
Atrial Fibrillation known as AFib is an irregular and often very rapid heart rhythm. An
irregular heart rhythm is called arrhythmia. AFib can lead to blood clots in the heart. The
condition also increases the risk of stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications
(mayoclinic,2025).
The first human ECG depicting atrial fibrillation was published by Willem Einthoven
(1860-1927) in 1906. The proof of a direct connection between absolute arrhythmia and atrial
fibrillation was established by two Viennese physicians, Carl Julius Rothberger and Heinrich
Winterberg in 1909. Sir Thomas Lewis (1881-1945), the father of modem electrocardiography,
studied electrophysiological characteristics of atrial fibrillation and has shown that its basic
perpetuating mechanism is circus movement of electrical impulse (Saba,2020).
It is estimated that 12.1 million people in the US will have AFib. In 2021, AFib was
mentioned on 232,030 death certificates and was the underlying cause of death in 28,037 of
those deaths People of European descent is more likely to have AFib than Black people. Because
the number of AFib cases increases with age and women generally live longer than men, more
women than men experience AFib. More than 454,000 hospitalizations with AFib as the primary
diagnosis happen each year in the US. The condition contributes to about 158,000 deaths each
year. The death rate from AFib as the primary or a contributing cause of death has been rising for
more than two decades (CDC,2024).
Normal Anatomy of the Major Body System
The major body system that is affected is the atria. The Atria are one of the two upper
chambers of the heart. The normal anatomy of the atria consists of the left and right atrium.
Atrial Fibrillation known as AFib is an irregular and often very rapid heart rhythm. An
irregular heart rhythm is called arrhythmia. AFib can lead to blood clots in the heart. The
condition also increases the risk of stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications
(mayoclinic,2025).
The first human ECG depicting atrial fibrillation was published by Willem Einthoven
(1860-1927) in 1906. The proof of a direct connection between absolute arrhythmia and atrial
fibrillation was established by two Viennese physicians, Carl Julius Rothberger and Heinrich
Winterberg in 1909. Sir Thomas Lewis (1881-1945), the father of modem electrocardiography,
studied electrophysiological characteristics of atrial fibrillation and has shown that its basic
perpetuating mechanism is circus movement of electrical impulse (Saba,2020).
It is estimated that 12.1 million people in the US will have AFib. In 2021, AFib was
mentioned on 232,030 death certificates and was the underlying cause of death in 28,037 of
those deaths People of European descent is more likely to have AFib than Black people. Because
the number of AFib cases increases with age and women generally live longer than men, more
women than men experience AFib. More than 454,000 hospitalizations with AFib as the primary
diagnosis happen each year in the US. The condition contributes to about 158,000 deaths each
year. The death rate from AFib as the primary or a contributing cause of death has been rising for
more than two decades (CDC,2024).
Normal Anatomy of the Major Body System
The major body system that is affected is the atria. The Atria are one of the two upper
chambers of the heart. The normal anatomy of the atria consists of the left and right atrium.
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Subject
Anatomy and Physiology