Heart Failure and Atrial Fibrillations

Dear Ask The Doctor: I have congestive heart faluire and twice i felt fibrilations that self terminated after 3 seconds, could it be a transient ventricular fibrilation?

Dear Camila: A person who has a VF (ventricular fibrillation) episodes will suddenly collapse or become unconscious, because the brain and muscles have stopped receiving blood from the heart, and thus VF is a medical emergency. On the other hand, it is my opinion that what you have been experiencing  seems to be the Atrial fibrillation in which the upper chamber of the heart (the atria) beats irregularly and very rapidly, rarely fatal but does require treatment as it can lead to severe discomfort, heart failure or stroke.