fibrillation

fibrillation
n.
chaotic electrical and mechanical activity of a heart chamber, which results in loss of synchronous contraction. The affected part of the heart then ceases to pump blood.
Fibrillation may affect the atria or ventricles independently. In atrial fibrillation (a common type of arrhythmia), the chaotic electrical activity of the atria is conducted to the ventricles in a random manner resulting in a rapid and irregular pulse rate. The main causes are atherosclerosis, chronic rheumatic heart disease, and hypertensive heart disease. It may also complicate various other conditions, including chest infections and thyroid overactivity. The heart rate is controlled by the administration of digoxin; in some cases the heart rhythm can be restored to normal by cardioversion. Anticoagulant therapy with warfarin reduces the risk of blood-clot formation, which could cause a stroke.
When ventricular fibrillation occurs the ventricles stop beating (see cardiac arrest). It is most commonly the result of myocardial infarction.

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  • fibrillation — [ fibrijasjɔ̃; fibri(l)lasjɔ̃ ] n. f. • 1907; de fibrille ♦ Méd. Contractions rapides et désordonnées des fibres musculaires, spécialt de celles du muscle cardiaque. ● fibrillation nom féminin Activité anormale de fibres musculaires isolées dont… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Fibrillation — is the rapid, irregular, and unsynchronized contraction of the muscle fibers of the heart. There are two major classes of fibrillation, atrial fibrillation and ventricular fibrillation.* Atrial fibrillation can be a chronic condition, usually… …   Wikipedia

  • Fibrillation — ist ein medizinischer Fachausdruck aus der englischen Literatur, der im Deutschen weniger geläufig ist. In der Medizin bezeichnet er spontane Zuckungen einzelner Muskelfasern der Skelettmuskulatur.[1] In der Kardiologie bezieht sich die… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Fibrillation — Fi bril*la tion, n. The state of being reduced to fibers. Carpenter. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • fibrillation — c.1840, noun of action from FIBRILLATE (Cf. fibrillate) …   Etymology dictionary

  • fibrillation — [fib΄ri lā′shən, fī΄brilā′shən] n. [< FIBRIL + ATION] a rapid, uncoordinated series of contractions of a muscle; esp., such contractions of some portion of the heart muscle, causing irregular heartbeats and sometimes ineffectual pumping of… …   English World dictionary

  • Fibrillation — In matters of the heart (cardiology), fibrillation is incoordinate twitching of the heart muscle fibers. The difference between fibrillation and flutter is that fibrillation is not well organized while flutter is. For example, atrial flutter is… …   Medical dictionary

  • Fibrillation — Troubles du rythme cardiaque Les troubles du rythme cardiaque ou arythmies sont une famille de maladies cardiaques. • Un rythme sinusal correspond au rythme cardiaque normal, c est à dire piloté par le nœud sinusal avec conservation de la… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • fibrillation — noun 1. muscular twitching involving individual muscle fibers acting without coordination • Derivationally related forms: ↑fibrillate • Hypernyms: ↑twitch, ↑twitching, ↑vellication • Hyponyms: ↑atrial fibrillation, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • fibrillation — sausasis plaušinimas statusas T sritis chemija apibrėžtis Plaušienos išskaidymas į plaušelius malant. atitikmenys: angl. fibrillation rus. фибриллирование волокнистого материала …   Chemijos terminų aiškinamasis žodynas

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