Since I have had 2 ER trips in the past 3 weeks due to stress related Atrial Fibrillation here are my tips.
1. Wear something easy to get off, top, bottom and feet.
2. Make sure you catch a nurses eye when everyone else is bypassing you to the triage sign in because you can barely stand up.
3. Don't eat before going in. They may need to anaesthetise you for cardioversion.
4. Ask for a commode to pee well before they have planned to take you to resuss for a cardioversion. I was given a paper bedpan under me to pee laying down. Believe me when they have finished putting a liter into your arm all of that floods the little bit of cardboard.
5. When they administer 50cc of medicine into your arm before cardioversion, make sure the BP cuff is not inflating. It is very painful and the drug will not go in. Tell them and they will wait until the cuff goes down.
6. Make sure they take the pillow out from under your head before they sedate you and go to sleep with your teeth clenched so you don't end up biting your tongue when they do 'charge 200, clear!'