What is Ventricular fibrillation?
Ventricular fibrillation is a dangerous medical condition that occurs when the electrical systems of the heart become chaotic and cause the heart to stop beating. It is one of the leading causes of cardiac arrest, which makes it a significant health concern. The most common cause of ventricular fibrillation is a heart attack, but it can also be caused by other heart diseases, electrical shocks, or drug overdose. If left untreated, ventricular fibrillation can be fatal and requires immediate medical attention.
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| Ventricular fibrillation |
Medical terms
Ventricular fibrillation is a condition in which the heart's ventricles quiver rather than contract in an organized way. This leads to the heart's inability to pump blood, and it is a life-threatening emergency. It is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death and is usually caused by a primary electrical problem with the heart. If not treated quickly, ventricular fibrillation can cause death within minutes.
Ventricular fibrillation is a life-threatening cardiac rhythm disturbance, which is characterized by uncoordinated electrical activity of the heart muscle. It results in a chaotic, unsynchronized contraction of the heart muscle that is unable to effectively pump blood through the cardiovascular system. This lack of adequate cardiac output can lead to cardiac arrest and death if not properly treated. Without intervention, ventricular fibrillation usually is fatal within minutes, due to inadequate oxygenated blood supply to vital organs.
Types Heart arrhythmia
In fashion, heart arrhythmias are grouped by way of the speed of the heart charge. For instance:
Tachycardia is a quick coronary heart. The resting heart charge is extra than 100 beats a minute.
Bradycardia is a gradual heartbeat. The resting heart fee is much less than 60 beats a minute.
Types of tachycardias encompass:
Symptoms Ventricular fibrillation
Collapse and lack of recognition are the most common signs and symptoms of ventricular fibrillation.
Before a ventricular traumatic inflammation episode, you could have signs of an irregularly fast or erratic heartbeat (arrhythmia). You may additionally have:
- Chest pain
- Very fast heartbeat (tachycardia)
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Shortness of breath
When to see a doctor
Make an appointment with a coronary heart physician (cardiologist) when you have an unexplained fast or pounding heartbeat.
If you see a person crumble, search for emergency scientific help right away. Follow these steps:
Call 911 or your neighborhood emergency range.
If the man or woman is subconscious, take a look at a pulse.
If no pulse, begin CPR to help hold blood flowing via the body till an automatic external defibrillator (AED) is to be had. The American Heart Association recommends arms-only CPR. Push hard and speedy at the person's chest — about a hundred to one hundred twenty times a minute. It's no longer essential to check the character's airway or supply rescue breaths. Continue until emergency scientific help arrives.
Use an AED as quickly because it's available. Deliver a surprise following the prompts at the device.
Causes Ventricular fibrillation
Ventricular fibrillation is maximum commonly caused by the subsequent:
Heart sickness.
Heart assault or chest pain (angina).
Diseases that trade the structure of the coronary heart by making its walls thicker or weaker.
Other arrhythmias or arrhythmia-inflicting situations.
Heart surgery.
Certain medications.
Electrolyte imbalances (an excessive amount of or too little potassium in your blood).
Electrical surprise.
Being hit inside the chest with a small, fast-moving object (that is known as commotio cordis, and it takes place maximum typically in sports activities like baseball, hockey and lacrosse).
Sometimes, the purpose of ventricular fibrillation is unknown.
To understand more approximately how ventricular fibrillation occurs, it can be beneficial to realize how the coronary heart normally beats.
The heartbeat
The usual heart has 4 chambers — top chambers (atria) and two lower chambers (ventricles). Within the higher right chamber of the coronary heart (right atrium) is a set of cells called the sinus node. The sinus node is the heart's herbal pacemaker. It produces the indicators that start every heartbeat.
These electric alerts move across the atria, inflicting the coronary heart muscle tissues to squeeze (agreement) and pump blood into the ventricles.
Next, the signals arrive at a cluster of cells called the AV node, wherein they sluggish down. This moderate postpone allows the ventricles to fill with blood. When the signals reach the ventricles, the lower heart chambers settle and pump blood to the lungs or to the rest of the frame.
In an average heart, this heart signaling procedure typically goes easily, resulting in an ordinary resting heart charge of 60 to one hundred beats a minute. But in ventricular traumatic inflammation, speedy, abnormal electrical signals cause the coronary heart chambers to quiver uselessly instead of pumping blood.
Risk Ventricular fibrillation
Things that can growth the danger of ventricular traumatic inflammation include:
A previous episode of ventricular fibrillation
A previous coronary heart attack
A heart trouble present at delivery (congenital heart defect)
Heart muscle ailment (cardiomyopathy)
Injuries that purpose damage to the heart muscle, such as being struck through lightning
Drug misuse, specially with cocaine or methamphetamine
A excessive imbalance of potassium or magnesium
Complications Ventricular fibrillation
Without on the spot remedy, ventricular traumatic inflammation can reason dying inside minutes. The situation's rapid, erratic heartbeats cause the heart to abruptly prevent pumping blood to the body. Blood pressure drops abruptly and substantially. The longer the body lacks blood, the greater the hazard of damage to the mind and different organs.
Ventricular traumatic inflammation is the maximum common cause of unexpected cardiac loss of life. The hazard of other lengthy-time period headaches depends on how rapid remedy is obtained.
What is the difference between atrial fibrillation (a-fib) and ventricular fibrillation?
Atrial fibrillation and ventricular fibrillation are two different types of arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat. Atrial fibrillation is caused by rapid and irregular electrical impulses in the atria of the heart, while ventricular fibrillation is caused by a lack of coordination between the lower chambers of the heart, known as the ventricles. Atrial fibrillation can be easily detected through a physical exam or an electrocardiogram (ECG), while ventricular fibrillation is typically harder to detect and may require special tests like an echocardiogram. Treatment for both arrhythmias usually involves medication, lifestyle changes, and sometimes electrical cardioversion or ablation.
Atrial fibrillation and ventricular fibrillation are two distinct heart rhythms that affect the heart. Atrial fibrillation is an irregular, rapid heartbeat caused by chaotic electrical signals in the upper chambers of the heart. It is often associated with chest pain, shortness of breath, and dizziness. Ventricular fibrillation on the other hand is a life-threatening arrhythmia that occurs when the ventricles of the heart contract rapidly and chaotically.
Diagnosis Ventricular fibrillation
Ventricular fibrillation inflammation is always recognized in an emergency scenario. If an unexpected cardiac demise has passed off, a pulse taken a look at will display no pulse.
Tests to diagnose and decide the cause of ventricular fibrillation include:
Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). This brief and painless test measures the electric pastime of the coronary heart. Sticky patches (electrodes) are positioned on the chest and from time to time the arms and legs. Wires join the electrodes to a laptop, which presents the take a look at results. An ECG can display if the coronary heart is beating too rapidly or too slowly. If you are having an episode of ventricular fibrillation, the ECG generally shows a heartbeat of approximately 300 to 400 beats a minute.
Blood assessments. Blood checks may be accomplished to check for proteins (enzymes) that leak into the bloodstream whilst the heart is damaged via a coronary heart attack.
Chest X-ray. An X-ray picture of the chest can display the size and shape of the heart and its blood vessels.
Echocardiogram. This noninvasive check uses sound waves to create snapshots of the heart in motion. It can show the coronary heart's size and structure.
Coronary catheterization (angiogram). This takes a look at enables fitness care providers to see blockages within the coronary heart arteries. A lengthy, skinny flexible tube (catheter) is inserted in a blood vessel, commonly in the groin or wrist, and guided to the coronary heart. Dye flows through the catheter to arteries in the coronary heart. The dye enables the arteries to display up more genuinely on X-ray photos and video.
Cardiac automatic tomography (CT). A CT experiment makes use of X-rays to create move-sectional images of specific parts of your body.
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This check uses a magnetic area and laptop-generated radio waves to create detailed snap shots of blood waft inside the coronary heart.
Treatment Ventricular fibrillation
Ventricular fibrillation requires emergency clinical treatment to prevent unexpected cardiac death. The goal of emergency treatment is to repair blood flow as fast as possible to save your organs and brain harm.
Emergency remedy for ventricular fibrillation includes:
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). CPR mimics the pumping motion of the coronary heart. It continues blood flowing through the body. First name 911 or your neighborhood emergency quantity. Then begin CPR by way of pushing hard and fast on the man or woman's chest — approximately 100 to a hundred and twenty compressions a minute. Let the chest rise absolutely between compressions. Continue CPR until an automatic outside defibrillator (AED) is available or emergency scientific assist arrives.
Defibrillation. This treatment is likewise referred to as cardioversion. An computerized outside defibrillator (AED) grants shocks through the chest wall to the heart. It can assist in restoring an ordinary coronary heart rhythm. As quickly as an AED is to be had, practice it and follow the activities. If you are no longer skilled to use an AED, a 911 operator or some other emergency scientific operator can be able to provide you with instructions. Public-use AEDs are programmed to apprehend ventricular traumatic inflammation and ship a surprise most effective while wished.
Other remedies for ventricular fibrillation are given to save you destiny episodes and reduce the threat of arrhythmia-related signs. Treatment for ventricular fibrillation consists of medications, clinical gadgets and surgery.
Medications
Drugs to manipulate the heart rhythm (anti-arrhythmics) are used for emergency or lengthy-time period treatment of ventricular traumatic inflammation. If you are prone to ventricular traumatic inflammation or sudden cardiac death, your company may additionally prescribe medicines to sluggish and manipulate your heartbeat.
Surgery or different tactics
Surgery or clinical tactics to deal with ventricular fibrillation consist of:
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). An ICD is a battery-powered unit that's implanted beneath the pores and skin close to the collarbone — much like a pacemaker. The ICD constantly video displays the heart rhythm. If the device detects an episode of ventricular fibrillation, it sends shocks to forestall it and reset the heart's rhythm.
Cardiac ablation. This method makes use of warmness or bloodless power to create tiny scars inside the coronary heart to block the abnormal heart signals that cause ventricular traumatic inflammation. It most often completed the use of thin, flexible tubes called catheters inserted through the veins or arteries. It can also be performed at some stage in coronary heart surgery.
Coronary angioplasty and stent placement. If ventricular fibrillation is caused by a heart attack, this process may reduce the hazard of future episodes of ventricular traumatic inflammation.
The fitness care provider inserts a long, skinny tube (catheter) thru an artery, generally in the groin, to a blocked artery within the coronary heart. A balloon at the tip of the catheter in brief inflates to widen the artery. This restores blood drift to the heart. A metallic mesh stent may be positioned into the artery to assist it stay open.
Coronary bypass surgical operation. This open-heart surgical procedure redirects blood round a phase of a blocked or partially blocked artery within the coronary heart. It can be achieved if ventricular fibrillation is as a result of coronary artery sickness. During a surgical operation, the general practitioner takes a wholesome blood vessel from the leg, arm or chest. It's connected below and above the blocked artery or arteries within the heart. This creates a brand new pathway for blood drift.
Lifestyle and home remedies
Lifestyle changes that help maintain the heart as healthful as viable consist of the subsequent:
Eat a healthy weight loss program. Heart-healthy foods encompass fruits, greens and complete grains, in addition to lean protein assets together with soy, beans, nuts, fish, skinless fowl and coffee-fat dairy merchandise. Avoid introduced salt (sodium), delivered sugars and saturated fats.
Exercise. Physical interest facilitates you to reap and keep a healthy weight. Regular workout facilitates diabetes, excessive cholesterol and high blood strain — all danger elements for heart disorder. With your issuer's OK, goal for 30 to 60 mins of physical interest maximum days of the week. Talk to your health care issuer about the amount and type of workout that is best for you.
Manage weight. Being obese will increase the danger of coronary heart ailment. Talk with your care company to set sensible desires for body mass index (BMI) and weight.
Don't smoke. Smoking is a major risk issue for coronary heart ailment, particularly atherosclerosis. Quitting is the first-class way to reduce the danger of heart ailment and its complications. If you want to assist quitting, speak to your provider.
Manage blood pressure and ldl cholesterol. Get normal fitness checkups to monitor blood strain and ldl cholesterol. Take medicinal drugs as prescribed to control high blood stress or excessive ldl cholesterol.
Limit alcohol. Too much alcohol can damage the heart. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so moderately. For healthy adults, that means up to at least one drink an afternoon for girls and up to two liquids an afternoon for men.
Get regular checkups. Take your medications as prescribed. Have regular comply with-up appointments along with your health care company. Tell your provider if your signs and symptoms get worse.
Practice precise sleep behavior. Poor sleep may also increase the threat of coronary heart sickness and different persistent situations. Adults need to goal to get 7 to nine hours of sleep each day. Kids often need extra. Go to bed and wake at the same time each day, along with on weekends. If you've got hassle drowsing, communicate with your issuer about strategies that might assist.
Coping and assist
Some irregular coronary heart rhythms (arrhythmias) may be brought about by emotional strain. Taking steps to ease strain and tension can help preserve the coronary heart. Getting extra exercising, training mindfulness and connecting with others in aid agencies are some methods to lessen and manage strain. If you have anxiety or melancholy, communicate in your issuer approximately strategies to help.
Some varieties of complementary and alternative healing procedures may also assist lessen strain, including:
Yoga
Meditation
Relaxation or mindfulness strategies
What to assume out of your physician
Your medical doctor is probably inviting you to ask a number of questions. Being prepared to answer them may reserve time to move over any factors you need to spend greater time on. Your health practitioner may additionally ask:
When did you first begin experiencing signs?
Have your signs been continuous, or do they arrive and pass?
How severe are your signs and symptoms?
Does something seem to improve your symptoms?
What, if something, appears to get worse your signs and symptoms?
Is there a circle of relatives with a history of arrhythmia?
General summary
Atrial fibrillation (a-fib) and ventricular fibrillation (V-fib) are both types of cardiac arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats. A-fib is an abnormally rapid and erratic heart rhythm caused by chaotic electrical signals originating from the upper chambers of the heart, while V-fib is an abnormally rapid and chaotic electrical activity originating from the lower chambers of the heart. The main difference between a-fib and V-fib is that a-fib can cause symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, and dizziness, while V-fib can lead to sudden cardiac arrest. A-fib can usually be managed with medications and lifestyle
Atrial fibrillation (a-fib) and ventricular fibrillation are both types of cardiac arrhythmias, or abnormal heart rhythms. A-fib is characterized by abnormal electrical signals that create rapid and chaotic contractions of the atria, or the upper chambers of the heart, while ventricular fibrillation is characterized by chaotic electrical signals that cause rapid and uncoordinated contractions of the ventricles, or lower chambers of the heart. The major difference between these two arrhythmias lies in the area of the heart affected. Afib causes an irregular heartbeat and is usually not life-threatening, while ventricular fibrillation is a medical emergency that can cause cardiac arrest and death if.