what is Fibrillation

Fibrillation means the formation of a fiber-like substance, but in clinical medicine this term is used to describe a fine tremor of muscular fibers, in contrast to a contraction of a muscle en masse in which all fibers act in coordination.
This sort of incoordinate tremor or twitching of separate muscle fiber occurs in certain stages of heart disease.
"Auricular fibrillation"is an irregular contraction of the muscle fibers of the upper chambers of the heart (auricles).
Because the auricles cannot contract fully and rhythmically, the whole heart action is thrown out of rhythm and the propulsion of the right quantity of blood into the arteries with every heart beat does not take place.
In such cases there will be a "pulse deficit," that is, there will be more heart beats counted per minute when listening to the chest than the number of pulsations counted at the wrist.
The pulse rate is, however, faster in these cases than in normal hearts.
People can get along with such an irregularity if they live within the limited capacity of their hearts.They must avoid all excitement, strain and hurry, must not overeat, drink or smoke, must rest after meals and get plenty of sleep.
A doctor will have to decide when such patients require digitalis for strengthening and slowing the heart.If there are no signs of heart failure, they merely need the general care outlined above and they will get along well.
'Ventricular fibrillation" is a similar condition in the lower and larger heart chambers, but more serious, and it occurs in cases of systemic poisoning by lead or other poisons and in failing hearts