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	Doctors who can help Search for Aurora physicians that specialize in this field
	Related conditions   - Cardiac arrest   - Atrial fibrillation   - Cardiomyopathy   - Heart attack   - Congestive heart failure   - Heart murmur   - Pericarditis   - High blood pressure   - Angina   - Aneurysm, aortic   - Arrhythmias

Atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation or flutter is a type of arrhythmia or heart rhythm disorder. It occurs when the upper chambers of the heart (atria) are abnormally stimulated to contract in a manner that is very rapid or disorganized.

Typically, the heart's natural pacemaker, known as the sinus node, sends a regular, coordinated electrical stimulus to the right atrium, which begins a heartbeat. Atrial fibrillation occurs when the normally steady flow of the electrical system is disrupted in a disorganized flurry, causing the upper chambers to quiver, or fibrillate, much faster than the normal speed of 60-120 beats per minute. Patients with atrial fibrillation are at high risk for congestive heart failure and stroke.

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