![]() When would ongoing medication be recommended? Drugs are also given immediately to reduce the heart rate and to minimise the risk of stroke. However, this is likely to be a temporary solution as the flutter does persist and ultimately an ablation should be recommended to cure the condition. This is when electrical shock therapy is delivered to stop and restart the heart. Serious symptoms (shortness of breath and chest pain) may need to be treated with emergency cardioversion. How are serious symptoms of atrial flutter immediately treated? Think of it as having to run a marathon but 24 hours a day – the heart never slows down to recover! At some stage, the heart may eventually become tired and fail to contract normally. This risk is particularly high if the heart rates in atrial flutter are left at a rate that is too high (i.e. Untreated atrial flutter will lead to a risk of progressive heart failure (weak heart muscle). The procedure takes anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes typically and can be done under local anaesthesia or general anaesthesia. Once it's in the right atrial chamber, radiofrequency energy is delivered to cauterize (burn) areas of the heart which are responsible for perpetuating this circuit that causes atrial flutter. In this procedure, catheters (flexible electrical tubes) are inserted through the groin via the femoral vein into the heart. ![]() It’s ultimately cured by a catheter ablation strategywhich has a very high success rate around 95% of patients have no recurrence of atrial flutter after catheter ablation. While it’s initially treated with drug therapy, which may help minimise the risk of stroke and slow down the heart rate, this won’t cure atrial flutter. In addition, if your heart rates are consistently elevated, your doctor may suggest a rate-limiting drug such as a beta-blocker (bisoprolol, metoprolol) or calcium blocker (verapamil, diltiazem). Drugs that your doctor will consider include anticoagulation, commonly known as blood thinners, such as warfarin or a newer class of drugs termed ‘direct oral anticoagulants’ such as apixaban, rivaroxaban, dabigatran or edoxaban. How do you treat atrial flutter?Ītrial flutter is initially treated with drug therapy. An electrocardiogram (ECG) of flutter showing a saw-tooth pattern.
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