["Atrial fibrillation" as the leading symptom--procedure in general practice. Diagnosis-therapy diagram for the family physician].

Frequent arrhythmia disorders such as atrial fibrillation (AF), may signal an elevated risk for haemodynamic complications (e.g. thromboembolism). On the other hand, formally similar ECG changes occur both in patients with healthy hearts and in old age, and not always in a firm relationship to the patient's clinical symptoms. Before treatment is initiated, therefore, the individual pathological significance of the arrhythmia presenting must be determined. A structured diagnostic approach to the cardinal symptom atrial fibrillation is presented from the point of view of the family doctor.