The focus of this session will be atrial fibrillation, the most common arrhythmia. We will cover everything from the management of unstable patients presenting to the emergency department to strategies to control patient's symptoms chronically. Be sure to watch the videos before coming to class!
Learning objectives
1. Discuss the definitions and symptoms of atrial fibrillation
2. Devise a plan for the acute management of a patient with atrial fibrillation based on initial presentation and severity of symptoms
3. Compare the risks and benefits of rate versus rhythm control strategies for long term management of patients with atrial fibrillation
4. Develop a pharmacologic plan for the long term management of atrial fibrillation that takes into account patient specific factors
5. Identify drugs that can be used to manage atrial fibrillation in patients with structural heart disease/heart failure and drugs that should be avoided/used cautiously in these patients