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Figure 3: 6-lead ECG (10mm/mV; 50 mm/s) showing slow atrial fibrillation with a ventricular rate of approximately 120-140 bpm. This patient had lone (or primary) atrial fibrillation. Patients on anti-arrhythmic treatment where a good rate control was achieved will present similar heart rates. Please note the irregular R-R intervals, lack of discernible P waves, tall and narrow QRS complexes and f waves.
Figure 4: Pulsed-wave doppler of the aortic blood flow in a patient with atrial fibrillation, obtained from a subcostal view. The velocity of the aortic flow is variable (translated into variable pulse quality) and some QRS complexes are not associated with aortic blood flow (translated into occasional absence of pulses). These changes are due to different R-R intervals preceding each beat (i.e. shorter R-R intervals will be associated with shorter time for ventricular filling and less blood will be ejected from the left ventricle into the aorta, which will lead to reduced quality/absent pulse).
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VETcpd - Vol 7 Issue 4 - Page 13