AF trigger -- shotgun pellet to heart

[Guest guest]

Here's a quote from the Amherst Times, in which it says the man shot by the

VPsuffered AF as a direct result of a shotgun pellet. The trigger was apparently

" inflammation. " " The lawyer's heart condition Tuesday led Blanchard and

hospital Administrator Banko to say Whittington had suffered a " mild heart

attack. " However, their description of events does not fit that of a heart

attack as that term is generally used.

Blanchard said a single shotgun pellet that was lodged in Whittington's chest

had moved and had come into contact with the surface of his heart. Inflammation

of the heart muscle disturbed the electrical circuitry between the upper and

lower heart chambers, triggering atrial fibrillation.

That condition affects 2.3 million Americans and is most common in the elderly.

It causes an irregular heartbeat that is often faster than normal and frequently

produces a feeling of breathlessness, though Blanchard said Whittington

reportedly had no symptoms.

Physicians prescribe drugs to slow the heart rate and blood thinners to prevent

clots from forming in the atria or upper chambers of the heart. Often, a normal

rhythm returns spontaneously. If it does not, physicians can try various

maneuvers, including electrical shock.

Although the condition is rare, there are many cases of people surviving after

objects penetrate their hearts or move there from elsewhere in the body.