Abstract
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequently occurring sustained cardiac rhythm disturbance (Wolf, Mitchell, Baker, Kannel, & D’Agostino, 1998). Although relatively easy to diagnose by analysis of the surface ECG, AF has modalities, mechanisms, and predisposing conditions that still remain poorly understood. AF is not a direct life-threatening arrhythmia. However, because of the associated strong symptomatology, it frequently results in hospitalisation, physician visits, and drug therapy, hereby limiting the physical and social activities of many patients. It not only affects the quality of life, but it also increases the likelihood of prothrombotic effects and the risk for mortality because of cerebrovascular events or progressive ventricular dysfunction (Wolf et al., 1998).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Atrial Fibrillation: Cardiac arrhythmia involving the atria, which are exited by irregular disorganized electrical impulses, causing atria not to regularly contract.
Multisite ECG Mapping: Electrocardiographic acquisition from multiple sites.
Morphological Quantification: Extracting numerical information associated to the morphology of the signal examined.
Gaussian Fit: Fitting procedure using Gaussian functions.
P-wave Abnormalities: Irregularities on the P-wave normal morphology.
P-Wave: ECG wave associated to the atrial depolarization.
Automatic Quantification: Extraction of numerical information by an algorithm, without the intervention of an operator.