Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an irregular, disorganized, electrical activity of the atria. It is characterized by uncoordinated atrial activity that leads to inefficient atrial contraction and impaired ventricular filling.
Several decades ago, two patients arrived in my emergency department with intense vomiting, bronchorrhea, and seizure-like activity. Their symptoms started about 30 minutes after consuming a mushroom stew. The wife considered herself to be an expert in mushroom identification and had picked several species of mushrooms, including a few very large ones with bright red tops. Both patients required intubation and several milligrams of atropine to handle their bronchial secretions. Several hours before, they had eaten a mushroom stew containing mushrooms they had picked that morning.
