Ventricular fibrillation

Ventricular fibrillation (VF) or V-fib is a dangerous condition in which your heart beats in an abnormal rhythm. Your heart should beat in a regular, steady pattern. VF causes your heart to beat quickly and out of rhythm. VF is considered to be the most serious type of abnormal heart rhythm. It is an emergency condition that may be brought on by a heart attack. If you’re experiencing VF symptoms, have someone nearby call emergency services. If someone near you appears to be experiencing a heart attack, stay with them after you call for help. If they lose consciousness and stop breathing, you will need to • Lay the person on their back, and clear their airways. • Place one hand over the other on their sternum. • Press quickly, 2 compressions per second. Getting a person to a hospital when VF occurs is vital. Death can occur within seconds after the condition starts. Other complications can include coma, loss of nerve function, and changes in neurological (mental) function due to a temporary loss or reduction of oxygen to the brain. Experiencing VF for a long time While the exact cause of VF isn’t always known, the problem typically stems from interruptions in the electrical impulses that control your heartbeat. A heart attack or loss of blood flow to your heart can set off VF. Several things can • Some medications and severe illnesses can also cause VF. • Leading a mainly sedentary life or not getting enough exercise may • • • • A history of heart conditions in your family ...

What is ventricular fibrillation? Ventricular fibrillation (V-fib) is a dangerous type of arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat. It affects your heart’s ventricles. Your heart is a muscle system that contains 4 chambers; the 2 bottom chambers are the ventricles. In a healthy heart, your blood pumps evenly in and out of these chambers. This keeps blood flowing throughout your body. An arrhythmia that starts in your ventricle is called ventricular fibrillation. This occurs when the electrical signals that tell your heart muscle to pump cause your ventricles to quiver (fibrillate) instead. The quivering means that your heart is not pumping blood out to your body. In some people, V-fib may happen several times a day. This is called an “electrical storm.” Because sustained V-fib can lead to cardiac arrest and death, it requires immediate medical attention. What causes ventricular fibrillation? The cause of ventricular fibrillation is not always known but it can occur during certain medical conditions. V-fib most commonly occurs during an acute heart attack or shortly thereafter. When heart muscle does not get enough blood flow, it can become electrically unstable and cause dangerous heart rhythms. A heart that has been damaged by a heart attack or other heart muscle damage is vulnerable to V-fib. Other causes include electrolyte abnormalities such as low potassium, certain medicines, and certain genetic diseases that affect the heart's ion channels or electrical conduction. Who is...

Ventricular arrhythmias are abnormal heart rhythms that make the lower chambers of your heart twitch instead of pump. This can limit or stop your heart from supplying blood to your body. While some of these arrhythmias are harmless and don’t cause symptoms, some can have serious — or even deadly — effects on your body. Overview EKG showing ventricular arrhythmia. What is a ventricular arrhythmia? A ventricular arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm that affects just the lower chambers of your heart. Those lower chambers are what drive the heart’s ability to pump blood throughout the body. While some of them are harmless and don’t usually cause symptoms, some of these rhythm problems can have serious — or even deadly — effects on your body. How do these types of arrhythmias affect my heart’s function? Your heart is a pump that has four chambers. The upper chambers are the left atrium and right atrium (you can say “atria” to refer to both of them). The lower chambers are the left ventricle and right ventricle. The right ventricle pumps blood out of your heart and into your lungs, which add oxygen and remove carbon dioxide before the blood reenters your heart. The left ventricle is the last chamber blood flows through before being pumped out to your entire body. Because the ventricles are so key to the heart’s ability to pump blood, any disruption in their normal rhythm can have major consequences. These include: • • Without CPR or the use of an automated external defibrillat...

What Is Ventricular Fibrillation? Ventricular fibrillation, or V-fib, is a dangerous problem with your Your heart muscle has four main sections, called chambers. The bottom two chambers are the ventricles. Ventricular fibrillation happens when the electrical signals in your Without medical treatment right away, V-fib can be deadly. In fact, it’s the most common cause of sudden cardiac death. Ventricular Fibrillation Symptoms V-fib doesn’t give you much warning. The main symptom is fainting. You may also have symptoms of ventricular • • Pounding or fast heartbeat • Dizziness • Nausea • Shortness of breath • Passing out Sudden cardiac arrest is the worst thing that can happen with V-fib. The two main signs are not responding to someone touching or speaking to you, and having severe problems breathing (gasping for air or not breathing at all). Ventricular Fibrillation Causes and Risk Factors Doctors don’t know for sure what causes ventricular fibrillation. But they do know some situations have a link to it. For instance, it happens most often during or right Other things that can raise your chances of VFib include: • Weakened heart muscle ( • Prior • Certain genetic diseases • Certain heart medicines • Imbalance of • Very low blood pressure (shock) • Electrical shock • Drowning • Problems with your main artery (aorta) • Drug toxicity • Severe infection (sepsis) Ventricular Fibrillation Diagnosis Your doctor will look at several things to learn whether you’re in V-fib. These m...

Ventricular fibrillation • • • • • • • • Overview Ventricular fibrillation is a type of irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia). During ventricular fibrillation, the lower heart chambers contract in a very rapid and uncoordinated manner. As a result, the heart doesn't pump blood to the rest of the body. Ventricular fibrillation is an emergency that requires immediate medical attention. It's the most frequent cause of sudden cardiac death. Emergency treatment for ventricular fibrillation includes cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and shocks to the heart with a device called an automated external defibrillator (AED). Medications, implanted devices or surgery may be recommended to prevent episodes of ventricular fibrillation. Ventricular fibrillation may also be called VFib, V-fib or VF. Symptoms Collapse and loss of consciousness are the most common symptoms of ventricular fibrillation. Before a ventricular fibrillation episode, you may have symptoms of an irregularly fast or erratic heartbeat (arrhythmia). You may have: • Chest pain • Very fast heartbeat (tachycardia) • Dizziness • Nausea • Shortness of breath When to see a doctor Make an appointment with a heart doctor (cardiologist) if you have an unexplained fast or pounding heartbeat. If you see someone collapse, seek emergency medical help immediately. Follow these steps: • Call 911 or your local emergency number. • If the person is unconscious, check for a pulse. • If no pulse, begin CPR to help keep blood flowing throu...

Ventricular tachycardia consultation at Mayo Clinic A thorough physical exam, medical history and testing are required to diagnose ventricular tachycardia. To diagnose ventricular tachycardia, the health care provider will usually do a physical exam and ask questions about your symptoms, habits and medical history. Sometimes, ventricular tachycardia is a medical emergency that requires urgent diagnosis and treatment. Tests If you have signs or symptoms of tachycardia, tests can be done to evaluate the heart and help confirm the diagnosis. Tests can also help determine if another health problem is contributing to ventricular tachycardia. Cardiac event monitor A wearable cardiac event monitor may be used to diagnose tachycardia. This type of portable ECG device records heart activity only during episodes of irregular heart rhythms (arrythmias). An electrocardiogram is the most common tool used to diagnose tachycardia. This painless test detects and records the heart's electrical activity using small sensors (electrodes) attached to the chest and arms. An ECG records the timing and strength of electrical signals as they travel through the heart. A health care provider can look for patterns among the signals to determine the type of tachycardia and how problems in the heart may be causing a fast heart rate. Your health care provider may also ask you to use a portable ECG device at home to obtain more information about your heart rate. These devices include: • Holter monitor. T...

The external structures of the heart include the ventricles, atria, arteries and veins. Arteries carry blood away from the heart while veins carry blood into the heart. The vessels colored blue indicate the transport of blood with relatively low content of oxygen and high content of carbon dioxide. The vessels colored red indicate the transport of blood with relatively high content of oxygen and low content of carbon dioxide. The heart pumps blood to the lungs, brain, and other organs. If the heartbeat is interrupted, even for a few seconds, it can lead to fainting (syncope) or cardiac arrest. Fibrillation is an uncontrolled twitching or quivering of muscle fibers (fibrils). When it occurs in the lower chambers of the heart, it is called VF. During VF, blood is not pumped from the heart. Sudden cardiac death results. The most common cause of VF is a heart attack. However, VF can occur whenever the heart muscle does not get enough oxygen. Conditions that can lead to VF include: • Electrocution accidents or injury to the heart • • • Heart muscle disease in which the • Heart surgery • Sudden cardiac death (commotio cordis); most often occurs in athletes who have had a sudden blow to the area directly over the heart • Medicines • Very high or very low potassium levels in the blood Many people with VF have no history of heart disease. However, they often have heart disease risk factors, such as smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes. A person who has a VF episode can sudden...

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What Is Ventricular Fibrillation? Ventricular fibrillation, or V-fib, is a dangerous problem with your Your heart muscle has four main sections, called chambers. The bottom two chambers are the ventricles. Ventricular fibrillation happens when the electrical signals in your Without medical treatment right away, V-fib can be deadly. In fact, it’s the most common cause of sudden cardiac death. Ventricular Fibrillation Symptoms V-fib doesn’t give you much warning. The main symptom is fainting. You may also have symptoms of ventricular • • Pounding or fast heartbeat • Dizziness • Nausea • Shortness of breath • Passing out Sudden cardiac arrest is the worst thing that can happen with V-fib. The two main signs are not responding to someone touching or speaking to you, and having severe problems breathing (gasping for air or not breathing at all). Ventricular Fibrillation Causes and Risk Factors Doctors don’t know for sure what causes ventricular fibrillation. But they do know some situations have a link to it. For instance, it happens most often during or right Other things that can raise your chances of VFib include: • Weakened heart muscle ( • Prior • Certain genetic diseases • Certain heart medicines • Imbalance of • Very low blood pressure (shock) • Electrical shock • Drowning • Problems with your main artery (aorta) • Drug toxicity • Severe infection (sepsis) Ventricular Fibrillation Diagnosis Your doctor will look at several things to learn whether you’re in V-fib. These m...

Ventricular arrhythmias are abnormal heart rhythms that make the lower chambers of your heart twitch instead of pump. This can limit or stop your heart from supplying blood to your body. While some of these arrhythmias are harmless and don’t cause symptoms, some can have serious — or even deadly — effects on your body. Overview EKG showing ventricular arrhythmia. What is a ventricular arrhythmia? A ventricular arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm that affects just the lower chambers of your heart. Those lower chambers are what drive the heart’s ability to pump blood throughout the body. While some of them are harmless and don’t usually cause symptoms, some of these rhythm problems can have serious — or even deadly — effects on your body. How do these types of arrhythmias affect my heart’s function? Your heart is a pump that has four chambers. The upper chambers are the left atrium and right atrium (you can say “atria” to refer to both of them). The lower chambers are the left ventricle and right ventricle. The right ventricle pumps blood out of your heart and into your lungs, which add oxygen and remove carbon dioxide before the blood reenters your heart. The left ventricle is the last chamber blood flows through before being pumped out to your entire body. Because the ventricles are so key to the heart’s ability to pump blood, any disruption in their normal rhythm can have major consequences. These include: • • Without CPR or the use of an automated external defibrillat...