Tag Archives: 10 steps

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1. Diagnose AF Many patients with AF remain asymptomatic and undetected, and AF is usually suspected when a patient is found to have an irregular pulse. At fast or slow rates the irregularity can be hard to detect. Confirmation of a diagnosis of AF must be obtained by undertaking an electrocardiogram (ECG).2 Automatic reporting software is not very effective at diagnosing AF and can over diagnose when the baseline is indistinct or, alternatively, may miss cases. The characteristic ECG findings are irregularly irregular QRS complexes and the absence of consistent P waves. Practice nurses and GPs should take advantage of scenarios for opportun