Ventricular Fibrillation

Ventricular fibrillation is a disorganization of the electrical activity of the ventricular myocardium. During fibrillation (or flicker), the contraction of the ventricles stops, as a result of which cardiac output, i.e., circulation, respiration, stops, and the patient loses consciousness. On an ECG at such periods irregular, frequent electrical oscillations are recorded whose amplitude varies drastically. If, during such periods, the patient is not urgently required to undergo cardiovascular resuscitation, then most likely he will not regain consciousness.

When heart failure occurs in 70% of cases, ventricular fibrillation is observed. In addition, in 80% of cases, the cause of sudden death was precisely ventricular fibrillation. This disease men are exposed to three times more often than women.

Etiology of the disease

In the vast majority of patients, this disease develops on the background of heart disease or any other extracardiac disorders. The reasons for its occurrence can be:

- cardiac ischemia;

- dilated cardiomyopathy ;

- Calopathy;

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy;

- intoxication;

- Electric shock;

- hypoxia and acidosis;

- hypothermia;

- taking certain medicines.

The development of fibrillation is also facilitated by a number of factors that reduce the electrical activity of the myocardium. These factors include increased heart size, increased sympathetic activity, and the presence of foci of degeneration and sclerosis in the conduction system and contractile myocardium.

Complications

Since ventricular fibrillation arises in most cases spontaneously, its main complication in the absence of emergency treatment is death. In order to bring the patient into feelings, a heart defibrillation is necessary. Defibrillation is a kind of "zeroing" of heart charges.

Other complications include aspiration pneumonia, as well as lung damage, which may appear after due to fracture of the ribs as a result of resuscitation.

During cardiac arrest, i.e., ventricular fibrillation, myocardial ischemia almost always develops, which can post complications such as arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, or simply a malfunction in the electromechanical work of the heart during the post-anesthetic period .

Often in patients after ventricular fibrillation, neurological complications are also observed. For example, anoxic encephalopathy, which is a consequence of brain hypoxia during an attack of the disease, can manifest as convulsive syndromes and coma. Serious brain lesions during successful cardiac revascularization are quite rare. This is due, first of all, to the fact that in the absence of successful and positive cardiorespiratory activities, the patient's heart does not start.

Treatment

Treatment, as already mentioned above, consists of successful resuscitation of the patient. The remaining therapeutic actions of medical personnel are aimed at preventing the disease or maintaining and restoring the patient's strength.

The treatment of atrial fibrillation is not specific and practically does not differ from the treatment of ventricles. In resuscitation, all patients after the attack without fail are shown oxygen therapy, that is, oxygen therapy.

There are no specific treatments for the resulting encephalopathy. In these cases, medical workers are forced to conduct only symptomatic therapy, which is aimed at preventing hypotension and hypoxia, as well as violations of carbohydrate and electrolyte metabolism.