French to English Medical Medical: Cardiology Hospitalization form

Hi,

The patient suffers from sustained atrial fibrillation.
She was hospitalized for a symptomatic RAF with RVR with palpitations.

The sentence is the following:
"La patiente présentera le jour de son admission un accès de palpitation sans dyspnée ni de douleur thoracic (...) découverte d'une tachycardie 140, voire 180 battements par minute (...)"

Is "accès" a simple episode/bout or does it mean attack/intense episode?

I found both meanings and wanted to double check.

This is for the US.

Thanks

Joanna