286
quick thinking (mander.xyz)
submitted 1 week ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
61 comments fedilink hide all child comments
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] [email protected] 65 points 1 week ago

You're pretty much correct. AF is a heart rhythm abnormality, and if it persists, like it seems to here, it renders the heart unable to pump blood. It appears he might have been undergoing a prostate exam when this happened, since that's the usual reason for a digital rectal exam. You'd have to assume the doctor knew they had this condition to begin with.

[-] [email protected] 55 points 1 week ago

Digital here means "using fingers" rather than "not analog", right?

[-] [email protected] 28 points 1 week ago

Yes indeed.

[-] [email protected] 22 points 1 week ago

Would the reverse be to use the anal-log?

[-] [email protected] 10 points 1 week ago

Most people can't handle that without a digital warmup first

[-] [email protected] 27 points 1 week ago

And "sinus rhythm" in this case would be... normal sinusoidal heart function, right?

Incredible. Thanks for the translation.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago

i choose to believe it means rhythmic sneezes

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

I thought hearts went 'lub dub' instead of 'wee woo' - I would've said it's more tangent or some transformed Gaussian at best?

[-] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

~~Nope. If I recall correctly all other interventions failed, so this was a hail Mary that happened to work~~

See other commenter below

[-] [email protected] 26 points 1 week ago

You recall incorrectly. It was a check for GI bleed prior to anticoagulant administration prior to cardioversion. They were literally running through pre-procedure tests in order to do the standard treatment for AF.

Source: The paper itself

[-] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago

Interesting. That area of the body is pretty sensitive, I can see how it might generate enough sensation to affect other areas of the body.

[-] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago

Specifically it's very possible to stimulate the vagus nerve, which helps regulate heart rhythm, with an exam like this. This is a known effect, but typically in the context of a possible adverse effect of some procedures (e.g. enema).

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

Oh man, I thought "AF" meant "as fuck" like it usually does on the internet.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

Why is heart rhythm abbreviated to AF and not HR or something?

[-] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

HR is "Heart Rate" and AF is "Atrial Fibrillation". "Heart Rate" is just how many times the heart beats in a minute. "Atrial Fibrillation" is an abnormal rhythm of the heart beat and the rate at which the heart beats in AFib can be normal or fast.

this post was submitted on 28 Jul 2025
286 points (97.4% liked)

Science Memes

16103 readers
2872 users here now

Welcome to c/science_memes @ Mander.xyz!

A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.

Rules

  1. Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
  2. Keep it rooted (on topic).
  3. No spam.
  4. Infographics welcome, get schooled.

This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.

Research Committee

Other Mander Communities

Science and Research

Biology and Life Sciences

Physical Sciences

Humanities and Social Sciences

Practical and Applied Sciences

Memes

Miscellaneous

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]