Discharge Instructions for Atrial Fibrillation
You have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. With this condition, your heart’s two upper chambers quiver rather than squeeze the blood out in a normal pattern. Atrial fibrillation is serious since it affects the heart’s ability to fill with blood as it should. Blood clots may form; this increases the risk of stroke. Atrial fibrillation can be controlled. With close monitoring, most patients with atrial fibrillation lead normal lives.
Home Care
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Take your medications exactly as directed. Don’t skip doses.
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Work with your doctor to determine the proper medications and doses.
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Learn to take your own pulse. Keep a record of your results. Ask your doctor which pulse rates mean that you need medical attention. Slowing your pulse is often the goal of treatment. Ask your doctor if it’s okay for you to use an automatic machine to check your pulse at home. Sometimes these machines don’t count the pulse correctly when you have atrial fibrillation.
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Limit your intake of coffee, tea, cola, and other beverages with caffeine to
2 per day. Eliminate caffeine completely if you can. -
Avoid over-the-counter medications that contain caffeine.
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Tell your doctor if you take antacids. They interfere with some medications given for atrial fibrillation.
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Ask your doctor about whether or not you can drink alcohol. Sometimes alcohol needs to be avoided in order to better treat atrial fibrillation. If you are taking blood-thinner medications, alcohol may interfere with them.
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Never take stimulants such as amphetamines or cocaine. These drugs can speed up your heart rate and trigger atrial fibrillation.
Follow-Up
Make a follow-up appointment as directed by our staff.
When to Call Your Doctor
Call your doctor immediately if you have any of the following:
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Weakness
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Dizziness
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Fainting
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Fatigue
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Shortness of breath
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Chest pain with increased activity
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A change in the usual irregularity of your heartbeat, or an unusually fast heartbeat
