Atrial fibrillation
Structured condition card with NCLEX priority cues and nursing action focus.
Cardiachigh priorityneeds review
Atrial fibrillation
Etiology / Pathophysiology
- Disorganized atrial electrical activity from age, heart disease, thyroid disease, infection, or stress.
- Atria quiver instead of contracting, causing irregular rhythm and clot risk.
Medications
| Class | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Calcium channel blockers | Rate control for selected clients. |
| Beta blockers | Rate control. |
| Anticoagulants | Stroke prevention when indicated. |
| Antiarrhythmics | Rhythm control in selected cases. |
Nursing actions
- Assess hemodynamic stability before focusing on rhythm label.
- Monitor rate, blood pressure, symptoms, and anticoagulation safety.
- Teach stroke warning signs and bleeding precautions when anticoagulated.
Complications
- Stroke
- Heart failure
- Hypotension
- Rapid ventricular response
NCLEX cues
- Irregularly irregular rhythm.
- No consistent P waves.
- Clot risk.
Memory hooks
- A-fib is irregular and clotty.
Labs / Diagnostics
- Trend assessment findings and ordered diagnostics; verify exact values with school source material.
Review notes
- Session-derived study seed. Verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy before relying on details.