Auricular Fibrillation

Abstract

The auricles pipe and the ventricles perforce must dance . . .a dance that sometimes leads to death" (Hay and Jones, 1927). AetiologyThe most common causes of auricular fibrillation are rheumatic heart disease and degenerative heart disease due to coronary atheroma and hypertension.Less com- mon causes are thyrotoxicosis and constrictive pericarditis.Rare causes include pulmonary embolism, acute respiratory infections, carcinoma involving the medi- astinum, accidental electric shock, electric convulsion therapy, and the administration of digitalis.In addition it seems clear that auricular fibrillation may sometimes occur spontaneously, and recur or persist over many years without evidence of underlying organic heart disease.Fibrillation may follow thoracotomy in older patients without clinical evidence of underlying heart disease.