ABC Medical Center > Diseases > Ventricular fibrillation

What is ventricular fibrillation?

4 May 2021

It is an arrhythmia or heart rhythm abnormality in which the ventricles do not contract orderly and only vibrate, causing the heart to stop pumping blood to the body, which is why it constitutes a medical emergency that must be treated immediately since it is the main cause of sudden cardiac death. Urgent care includes cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of a defibrillator that delivers direct electrical shocks to the heart to restore proper function. Various heart diseases are the origin of ventricular fibrillation, such as:

  • Myocardial infarction.
  • Coronary artery disease.
  • Heart failure.
  • Cardiomyopathies.
  • Channelopathies.

It can also be caused by drowning, electric shocks, or the intake of some medications.

Signs and symptoms Ventricular fibrillation

  • Dizziness.
  • Nausea.
  • Difficulty breathing.
  • Chest pain.
  • Tachycardia.
  • Fainting.

If you experience any of these symptoms, go to the ABC Medical Center Emergency Room to receive specialized medical care.

Potential risks:

  • Having cardiomyopathy
  • Heart damage from electrical shocks or some other type of accident.
  • Drug addiction.
  • Low levels of potassium or magnesium in the body.
  • Having previously suffered from ventricular fibrillation.
  • Having had a previous heart attack.
  • Being born with congenital heart disease.

Diagnosis and treatment Ventricular fibrillation

Tests needed to make a diagnosis include:

  • Blood test
  • Chest x-ray.
  • Electrocardiogram.
  • Echocardiogram.
  • MRI.
  • Angiography.
  • Computed tomography.

Emergency treatment consists of restoring the pumping and circulation of blood to minimize possible organic damage, especially in the brain.

The therapy to follow includes:

  • Cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
  • Defibrillation.
  • Antiarrhythmic drugs.
  • Surgery:
    • Defibrillator implantation.
    • Cardiac ablation.
    • Coronary angioplasty.
    • Coronary bypass.

At the Cardiovascular Center, we offer you a wide range of prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and follow-up services to take care of you through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary care model. Come to us, we want to hear your heart.

Fuentes:

  • fundaciondelcorazon.com
  • myhealth.ucsd.edu
  • msdmanuals.com
  • mayoclinic.org
  • texasheart.org
  • medigraphic.org
  • Bautista-Vargas, William-Fernando. Pre-síncope y ablación de la contracción ventricular prematura con origen en la banda moderadora. Cardiovasc Metab Sci. 2020;31(4):131-136. doi:10.35366/97545.
  • Monge OJM, Quesada ACI. Síndrome de Brugada. Rev Clin Esc Med. 2019;9(3):53-55.
  • Rodríguez LLA, Rodríguez ME, Cruz EJM, et al. Fragmented QRS and sudden death in a patient with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy. CorSalud. 2019;11(1):70-74.
  • Dorantes SM, Ponce PE, Falcón RR. Short-coupled premature ventricular contractions triggering malignant arrhythmias. CorSalud. 2016;8(3):144-152.

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    Sources
    • fundaciondelcorazon.com | myhealth.ucsd.edu | msdmanuals.com | mayoclinic.org | texasheart.org | medigraphic.org | Bautista-Vargas, William-Fernando. Pre-síncope y ablación de la contracción ventricular prematura con origen en la banda moderadora. Cardiovasc Metab Sci. 2020;31(4):131-136. doi:10.35366/97545. | Monge OJM, Quesada ACI. Síndrome de Brugada. Rev Clin Esc Med. 2019;9(3):53-55. | Rodríguez LLA, Rodríguez ME, Cruz EJM, et al. Fragmented QRS and sudden death in a patient with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy. CorSalud. 2019;11(1):70-74. | Dorantes SM, Ponce PE, Falcón RR. Short-coupled premature ventricular contractions triggering malignant arrhythmias. CorSalud. 2016;8(3):144-152.