Irregular Pulse or Afib?

Is there a difference between itregular pulse and afib? I remember in er they said pulse was itregular but not afib. How do they tell difference? Thanks.

You can have an irregular pulse that isn't afib by having, for example, bigeminy. (Google it.) Bigeminy is irregular but it's regularly irregular. Afib is identified by doing an ECG and observing an irregularly irregular heart beat and a lack of P waves.

Thanks. When i am in afib, i am all over the place....fast and never anregular beat. Sometimes i have irregular pulse but none of symptoms i have with my ususal afib.

Look up Ectopic Heart Beats and PAC's (Premature Atrial Contractions). Atrial Bigeminy is when you get a PAC prior to every full HeartBeat. [en.wikipedia.org]

PAC's can run every 2,3,4 or 5 beats and will also vary as in after 2 beats, then 4, then 5, then 2, and so forth. The regularity of the NSR beats are interrupted by the PAC's, which can feel similar to AFIB. Usually the overall HR increases more during AFIB, and HR will also have more variance during AFIB. For example when I have PAC's while still in NSR, my HR stays relatively normal around 70-80 bpm, whereas during AFIB, my HR varies from 70 to 120. Also the strength of the Beats should feel stronger by Finger/Pulse check than compared to AFIB, because the Atria is still contracting during PAC's verses when during AFIB, the Atria is Fibrillating.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/07/2019 08:52AM by The Anti-Fib.

Quote
Erin
Thanks. When i am in afib, i am all over the place....fast and never anregular beat. Sometimes i have irregular pulse but none of symptoms i have with my ususal afib.

Ectopics in clusters often bring a sensation resembling afib, but you're right saying the symptoms are not those of afib. I sometimes have lots of ectopics, the rhythm is irregular, but I don't need an ECG tracing to be sure it's not afib. The "normal" beats inbetween are unmistakable. And I guess they are efficient enough to keep an acceptable EF.