Atrial fibrillation and flutterI48: Atrial fibrillation and flutter.
AF successfully controlled by cardiac ablation alone (not requiring antiarrhythmic medications) should be reported using code Z86. 79 (history of AF). If cardiac ablation for AF was performed and the patient still requires medication to prevent recurrences, the diagnosis should be AF and not “history of AF”.
The code for “atrial fibrillation with RVR” is I48. 91 Unspecified atrial fibrillation.
Normally, the top chambers (atria) contract and push blood into the bottom chambers (ventricles). In atrial fibrillation, the atria beat irregularly. In atrial flutter, the atria beat regularly, but faster than usual and more often than the ventricles, so you may have four atrial beats to every one ventricular beat.
The ablation procedure is directed at the pathway for electrical impulses rather the muscular wall of the heart itself. The atrium is not being destroyed. This procedure can be reported with the following ICD-10-PCS codes: 02580ZZ, Destruction of conduction mechanism, open approach.
ICD-10-CM Code for Unspecified atrial fibrillation I48. 91.
In some cases of AFib, the fibrillation of the atria causes the ventricles, or lower chambers of the heart, to beat too fast. This is called a rapid ventricular rate or response (RVR). If you have AFib with RVR you'll experience symptoms, typically a rapid or fluttering heartbeat.
The flutters are too weak to send enough blood into the ventricles. In AFib with rapid ventricular response, the ventricles also beat too fast. These beats are too weak to push enough blood out of the heart to your lungs and body.
Conclusion: In certain patients, the occurrence of transient, simultaneous atrial fibrillation and flutter is possible.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a form of arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, in which the atria (the two small upper chambers of the heart) quiver instead of beating effectively. It is one of the most common forms of cardiac arrhythmia, affecting 0.4% of the general population and 5 to 10% of persons over 65 years of age.
Both heart diseases have the potential of becoming serious. However, many doctors and other health care professionals consider atrial flutter to be less serious than atrial fibrillation because flutter symptoms tend to be less severe and flutter waves have less risk of embolization (clot formation).
Listen to your heartbeat: Your heartbeat will be very erratic with AFib, while with palpitations it'll beat fast but in a steady pattern and slowly return to normal.
RVR stands for a rapid ventricular response and it can be triggered by atrial fibrillation. A ventricular rate higher than 100 beats per minute is considered rapid ventricular response.
A-fib with RVR is the common term for atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response. A common disorder that involves a rapid heart rate, it requires medical attention and, in many cases, hospitalization.