Ventricular Fibrillation

In Ventricular Fibrillation the heart's main pumping chambers (the ventricles) contract very rapidly and ineffectively. This results in no blood being pumped throughout the body.

Causes

Ventricular Fibrillation can be caused by damage to the heart muscle from:
  • Coronary heart disease
  • Previous heart attack
  • Infection of the heart muscle
  • Genetic heart condition
  • Shock, or circulatory collapse with extremely low blood pressure
  • Electric shock
  • Lack of oxygen
  • Electrolyte disturbance, such as:
    • Extremely low potassium in the blood
    • Extremely low magnesium in the blood

Risk Factors

A risk factor is something that increases your chance of getting a disease or condition.
  • Smoking
  • Obesity
  • Excess emotional stress
  • Lack of exercise
  • High blood cholesterol
  • High blood pressure
  • Diabetes
  • Existing heart condition
  • Family history of heart disease
  • Exercising in extreme cold or heat
  • Side effects of certain drugs for an irregular heart beat, including:
    • Quinidine
    • Procainamide
    • Disopyramide
    • Sotalol
  • Illegal drug use, especially cocaine

Symptoms

Symptoms may include:
  • Sudden collapse and unconsciousness
  • No pulse
  • No blood pressure
  • Damage to the brain and heart or death. This can occur if treatment is not begun within 3 to 5 minutes.
Warning symptoms that are sometimes present may include:
  • Chest pain
  • Pain that radiates to the jaw, neck, or shoulders
  • Palpitations, feeling like the heart is pounding in the chest
  • Shortness of breath
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Unusual sweating

Diagnosis

Ventricular Fibrillation is a medical emergency. The doctor will suspect ventricular fibrillation if you:
  • Suddenly collapse and lose consciousness
  • Have no pulse, heartbeat, or blood pressure
The diagnosis can be confirmed with an electrocardiogram (ECG). An ECG is a test that measures the electrical activity of the heart.

Treatment

Treatment may include:
Emergency Treatment
This may consist of:
  • Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) - it usually must be started within 3-5 minutes. CPR pumps blood throughout the body and helps prevent heart and brain damage.
  • Defibrillating device – it can be used to restore normal electrical impulses and pumping action in the heart.
  • Drugs – they can be given to help restore and maintain normal heart rhythm.
Follow-up Treatment
Follow-up treatment depends on what caused ventricular fibrillation. It may include:
• Medication for high cholesterol or high blood pressure
• Medication to treat a heart condition
• Heart surgery
• An automatic defibrillating device implanted in your chest

Prevention

To help reduce your risk of having Ventricular Fibrillation:
  • Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • Lose weight if you are overweight.
  • Get tested regularly for high blood pressure
  • Get your cholesterol levels checked regularly.
  • Take medications if advised for high blood pressure, cholesterol, or heart disease.