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Atrial fibrillation is one of the most common heart conditions in the United States and is encountered on a regular basis by those who work in the cardiac care profession. Although an unlicensed technician will not be required to perform an in-depth evaluation of a patient who suffers from this illness, they should have a basic understanding of the disease and the effects it can have on electrocardiogram wave forms. This will allow the technician to provide high quality care to the public and contribute to the operational efficiency of their organization by ensuring that test results are acceptable and concerning elements are identified before being evaluated by licensed personnel. The standard human heart consists of four chambers that are specifically designed to work together to pump blood to the lungs and throughout the entire body. The two smaller chambers known as atria rest on the top of two larger chambers that are known as ventricles. The atria serve the purpose of pumping blood into the ventricles before it is circulated throughout the body. In order for the blood to move in the proper direction, it is very important for the atria to contract before the ventricles. In order for this to happen, an electrical signal originates in a collection of nerve fibers known as the sinoatrial node that is located at the top of the right atrium. This signal then travels down through the heart causing cells to contract as it passes. Fibrillation refers to the rapid and irregular contraction of a chamber. In the atria, it is believed that the nerve tissue located in front of the pulmonary veins may be responsible for creating the electrical signals that cause fibrillation. If these signals are allowed to roam aimlessly through the cardiac tissue and are able to re-circulate via electrical pathways then they can cause the atria to pump inefficiently. This often reduces the amount of blood in the ventricles and results in decreased oxygen delivery to the brain and the rest of the tissues throughout the body. While the condition is rarely life-threatening, it can result in several bothersome symptoms such as fatigue, lightheadedness, confusion, weakness, and many others. While an electrocardiogram technician is typically not required to conduct in-depth medical evaluations of patients or develop treatment plans, they are often expected to review testing outcomes to make sure that the recordings are usable and commonly encountered abnormalities are identified before they are passed on to the nurses and physicians. With atrial fibrillation, technicians might notice an absent P wave, varying ventricular rates, irregular rhythms, the loss of an isoelectric baseline, fibrillatory waves, and QRS complexes less than 120 milliseconds. Although these abnormalities can be seen in other types of conditions, they are common in atrial fibrillation and should raise suspicion. In several cases, the abnormal electrical signals that are created in the atria do not pass through to the ventricles. If the irregular contractile stimuli were allowed through the atrioventricular node that sets the pace for ventricular contraction, they could lead to tachycardia and death. Some patients may not even realize that they have atrial fibrillation until it is found incidentally on examination. Currently there are a few different classifications for the condition that are based on a variety of factors and that are to be determined by the licensed physician. Some doctors and nurses elect to have an echocardiogram and Holter monitoring performed in order to develop a more informed perspective of cardiac health. As the EKG technician, an individual should develop a basic appreciation for the atrial fibrillation ECG as well as several other abnormal cardiac conditions so that they can provide the highest level of care that is possible. Even though an unlicensed member of the team cannot diagnose or treat patients, they do play an important part in helping to ensure efficiency and can improve health outcomes by performing an initial evaluation of test results and checking for concerning abnormalities. In most cases, employers will provide the knowledge and skills needed during the orientation and training period. Readers who are interested in exploring this topic in greater detail and who want to learn about career opportunities as an unlicensed provider in the cardiovascular specialty are strongly advised to visit http://www.ekgtechniciansalary.org/ where they will find details about requirements in different states along with information relating to several other important topics. Becoming familiar with the basic employment expectations in the profession is the first step towards career advancement and can lead to several years of satisfying work. In addition, it is highly recommended that individuals become actively involved in their local, state, and national organizations.
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atrial fibrillation, ekg technician, electrocardiogram waveforms,
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