fibrillatory

Fibrillatory is an adjective describing phenomena related to fibrillation, the rapid, irregular, unsynchronized contraction of muscle fibers or cardiac tissue. It is used in clinical and physiological contexts to characterize disorganized electrical or mechanical activity.

In cardiology, fibrillatory waves refer to rapid, irregular atrial electrical activity seen on electrocardiography during atrial fibrillation. These waves indicate chaotic atrial conduction and are juxtaposed with the more organized ventricular response. In ventricular fibrillation, the heart exhibits highly disorganized electrical activity, producing an erratic rhythm without effective pumping.

In neuromuscular and electrophysiological contexts, fibrillatory activity may describe spontaneous, disordered signals detected in muscles or nerves. On electromyography, fibrillations are spontaneous discharges of individual muscle fibers, which can appear as irregular potentials in denervated or damaged muscle tissue.

The term is derived from fibril, meaning a small fiber, and the suffix -ary, indicating pertaining to. It is primarily used in technical medical literature and is usually encountered in discussions of surface ECG patterns, intracardiac recordings, or EMG findings.

See also: fibrillation, atrial fibrillation, ventricular fibrillation, electromyography, fibrillation potential.