DEFIBRILLATION

Course overview

CARDIAC DEFIBRILLATION IS THE ACT OF ADMINISTERING A TRANSTHORACIC ELECTRICAL CURRENT TO A PERSON EXPERIENCING ONE OF THE TWO LETHAL VENTRICULAR DYSRHYTHMIAS, VENTRICULAR FIBRILLATION (VF) OR PULSELESS VENTRICULAR TACHYCARDIA (VT). UNDER ADVANCED CARDIAC LIFE SUPPORT (ACLS) GUIDELINES, PULSELESS VT AND VF ARE TREATED THE SAME. HEART DISEASE REMAINS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATH IN BOTH SEXES. ABOUT HALF OF THESE SUDDEN DEATHS OCCUR IN THE PRE-HOSPITAL SETTING; OF THESE, ALMOST THREE-QUARTERS HAPPEN IN THE HOME, AND HALF OF THESE ARE UNWITNESSED. IN THE ADULT PATIENT, VF IS THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST. THE DEFINITIVE TREATMENT FOR VF IS TO PERFORM ELECTRICAL DEFIBRILLATION. WHEN DEFIBRILLATION IS DELAYED, EFFECTIVENESS IS REDUCED BY ALMOST 10% PER MINUTE. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE USE OF DEFIBRILLATION AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TREATING PATIENTS USING THIS TECHNIQUE.