Copyright &copy 1997-2010 by Fred SeneseComments & questions to fsenese@frostburg.eduLast Revised 08/17/15.URL: http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/consumer/faq/why-does-alkaseltzer-fizz.shtml.
Atrial flutter symptoms can come and go, with fast heart beat episodes lasting from some hours or days. In some cases, atrial flutter happens all the time. With proper treatment, atrial flutter is rarely life threatening. Complications of atrial flutter can be serious, but they can usually be prevented with treatment.
Atrial flutter is caused by a re-entrant rhythm in either the right or left atrium. Typically initiated by a premature electrical impulse arising in the atria, atrial flutter is propagated due to differences in refractory periods of atrial tissue.