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Very rapid contractions or twitching of small muscle fibers in the heart often need to be stopped. A mechanism that does this is called a defibrillator. The act itself is call a defibrillation. Many times the top chambers of the heart go into fibrillation and are not as severe as the ones that occur in the bottom chambers called the ventricles. These must be stopped as quickly as possible.
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Why is the heart actually stopped when the defibrillator pads are applied?
Defibrillation depolarizes all of the heart tissue at once. This usually will terminate abnormal heart rhythms with the hope that a normal one will take over.
Why is defibrillation not effective when there is a total absence of venticular electrical activity in the heart?
When there is no electrical activity in the heart (asystole), the AED won't start the heart as drugs are required to start the heart. The AED will only re-set the heart from abnormal electrical activity (such as V-Tach or V-Fib).
Should emergency defibrillators be used on patients suffering atrial fibrillation attacks?
If patients with atrial fibrillation experience rapid heart rate (rapid ventricular response) and are hemodynamically unstable (hypotension, altered mental status) then electrical cardioversion is appropriate. Defibrillation is never utilized in atrial fibrillation.
What is pharmacologic management of ventricular fibrillation?
Patients who experience ventricular fibrillation (which is disorganized electrical activity occuring within the lower chambers of the heart) are resuscitated via defibrillation. Defibrillation consists of an electric shock usually delivered via conductive pads or paddles. It essentially resets all the cells of the heart in hopes that when electrical activity resumes, it will be organized and able to pump blood. Untreated, all ventricular fibrillation is fatal, and patients who are at known risk for experiencing this arrythmia can be provided with an implanted cardioverter defibrillator, or ICD. This is a device which is placed under the skin of the upper torso and connected to the heart with a wire. It contains a computer which will monitor the patient's heart at all times and deliver a shock if recognizes ventricular fibrillation or a related rhythm called ventricular tachycardia. There are also certain drugs, such as amiodarone and lidocaine, which can be given to a patient at known risk for ventricular fibrillation in order to make it less likely. These drugs usually work by making the cell membranes of the cells of the heart more electrically stable. Many of the same drugs can also be given if defibrillation is initially unsuccessful in order to help make it more effective. It should be noted that there is a very short window of time to treat ventricular fibrillation (permenant brain damage begins to occur approximately 4-6 minutes after the onset of the arrythmia), and the prognosis for these patients is generally very poor if they are not defibrillated immediately and transferred to a critical care setting.
The purpose of defibrillation is to?
It is to "restart" the heart's electrical conductivity and electrical rhythym. It, in general, sends out an electrical impulse to the heart to kickstart it.
What is Defibrillation called in medical terminology?
Defibrillation is a medical term.
When did the delivery of current expected to increase during defibrillation?
delivered current during defibrillation is expected to increase with which of the following?
What is an advantage of using hands free defibrillation pads instead of defibrillatiion paddles?
Allow for a more rapid defibrillation
American red cross early defibrillation can?
American Red Cross early defibrillation can increase the chance of survival from cardiac arrest.
What conditions are treated by defibrillation?
Defibrillation is performed to correct life-threatening arrhythmias of the heart including ventricular fibrillation and cardiac arrest.in non-life threatening situations, atrial defibrillation can be used to treat atrial fibrillation or flutter.
The heart does not need to have electrical activity for defibrillation to work?
No, what defibrillation does is 'reorganize' chaotic electrical activity known as ventricular fibrillation or pulseless V-Tach.
Who should not receive defibrillation?
Defibrillation should not be performed on a patient who has a pulse or is alert, as this could cause a lethal heart rhythm disturbance or cardiac arrest.
The use of electrical shock to restore the heart's normal rhythm is known as?
Defibrillation also known as cardioversion.
What can early CPR and defibrillation do?
CPR and early defibrillation can reduce the risk of damage to the brain from inadequate blood flow. Thus, they can increase the likelihood fo survival.
What is the action called when doctors shock the heart?
Defibrillation
What precautions are associated with defibrillation?
Defibrillation should not be performed on a patient who has a pulse or is alert.The paddles used in the procedure should not be placed on a woman's breasts or over an internal pacemaker
What does defibrillation mean?
Defibrillation is a treatment for any abnormal electrical activity of the heart, uncoordinated contraction of the cardiac muscle or fast heart rhythm. Defibrillation cosists of delivering a therapeutic dose of electrical energy to the affected area of the heart with a device called a defibrillator and helps alow normal sinus rhythm.
