What are the methods used to identify atrial fibrillation?
Atrial fibrillation is typically detected as an irregular pulse or an irregular rhythm on an electrocardiogram (ECG). This may be an incidental finding or may arise while investigating symptoms suggestive of the disease. Because atrial fibrillation can be intermittent, detection and diagnosis may be challenging. Other methods used to identify atrial fibrillation include blood tests to check for markers of heart damage, a Holter monitor to track heart rate over a 24-hour period, and a transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) to check for heart abnormalities.