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The general medical term for a heart attack is Myocardial Infarction (MI). This refers to loss of blood to sections of the heart muscle, often because of a blockage in one of the arteries that supplies the heart with oxygen rich blood. A loss of blood supply causes necrosis (cell death) of part of the heart which no longer co-operates in the contraction and relaxation that causes the heart to beat and pump blood around our bodies. Secondary to this reduced function by MI is Fibrillation (literally the trembling of the heart muscle rather than the orderly contraction and relaxation) It can occur as a secondary feature to MI or as a result of some other trauma. Fibrillation can occur in the atrial or ventricular areas of the cardiac muscle. The most fatal and requiring immediate treatment is the Ventricular fibrillation (V-Fib or VF) since, blood supply to the brain and body will stop rapidly. To rectify this state, a defibrillator is used to bring the heart back to a steady beat by firing an electrical charge across the heart. The defibrillator is NOT used to start a heart that has ceased to beat altogether, despite this often being shown (incorrectly) on show medical TV shows.

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16y ago

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