New-Onset Rate-Controlled Atrial Fibrillation: A Rarely Seen Pediatric Pain Response

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a rare cardiac rhythm disturbance in the pediatric population. It is exceedingly uncommon in otherwise healthy individuals without structural heart disease or known genetic predisposition. This case describes rate-controlled AF in a previously healthy adolescent presenting to the emergency department with one week of right lower quadrant abdominal pain and associated nausea. The patient subsequently spontaneously converted to normal sinus rhythm, underwent an unremarkable cardiac evaluation at a tertiary care center, and was discharged home in excellent condition. Despite the patient’s benign course in this instance, new-onset AF in pediatric patients should always warrant admission and comprehensive evaluation to exclude underlying pathology.