Defibrillation is a treatment for life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, specifically ventricular fibrillation and non-perfusing ventricular tachycardia, that delivers a dose of electric current to the heart. Although not fully understood, the process depolarizes a large amount of the heart muscle, ending the arrhythmia, after which the heart's natural pacemaker in the sinoatrial node can re-establish normal sinus rhythm. A heart in asystole, or flatline, cannot be restarted by defibrillation; it is instead treated with cardiopulmonary resuscitation and medication, with defibrillation or cardioversion used only if it converts into a shockable rhythm. The device that administers the treatment is called a defibrillator.
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1. Wikipedia
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia Foundationhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defibrillation, lead sectionQuote, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defibrillation, lead section
Defibrillation is a treatment for life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, specifically ventricular fibrillation (V-Fib) and non-perfusing ventricular tachycardia (V-Tach).
2. Wikipedia: Defibrillation
WikipediaHistory section, first demonstrated 1899Quote, History section, first demonstrated 1899
Defibrillators were first demonstrated in 1899 by Jean-Louis Prévost and Frédéric Batelli, two physiologists from the University of Geneva, Switzerland.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can defibrillation restart a heart that has flatlined?
No, asystole is treated with CPR and medication; defibrillation needs a shockable rhythm.
No. A heart in asystole, or flatline, cannot be restarted by defibrillation. It is instead treated with cardiopulmonary resuscitation and medication, and defibrillation or cardioversion is used only if the rhythm converts into a shockable one. Defibrillation treats ventricular fibrillation and non-perfusing ventricular tachycardia.
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