Fibrillation is an abnormally fast or chaotic heartbeat or beat. Heart rhythm disturbances are called arrhythmias. Arrhythmias are caused by malfunctions in the heart's electrical system. When fibrillation occurs in the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles), it is called ventricular fibrillation (VF). VF causes the heart to beat faster than 200 to 300 beats per minute instead of the normal 60 to 100 beats per minute. VF is also a chaos beat. This means the heart chambers contract too quickly and oscillate instead of beating. This means that the ventricles do not have time to fill with blood before it is pumped into the body. In this way, blood and oxygen are delivered to the body and, most importantly, to the brain.

VF is the most dangerous type of arrhythmia. You can lose consciousness within seconds of the onset of VF. Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and sudden cardiac death (SCD) can occur within minutes if not treated immediately with a defibrillator. Other names for ventricular fibrillation: VF, VFib.

What is the cause of Ventricular Fibrillation (VF)?

An issue with your heart's electrical system results in ventricular fibrillation (VF). Your heart contracts as a result of electrical signals traveling along a specific path. But during VF, the ventricles contain way too many messages. Furthermore, the signals are not moving along the right channels. Visit the Heart & Blood Vessel Basics section to find out more information about your heart's electrical system.

In people with normal, healthy hearts, VF is quite uncommon. People with specific forms of heart or blood vessel problems are more likely to experience it.

What are the symptoms of Ventricular Fibrillation (VF)?

Ventricular fibrillation (VF) frequently happens suddenly. Since the heart is no longer pumping enough blood, loss of consciousness is the first and frequently the only sign of VF.

What tests could I have?

Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)

What is an ECG?

An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) shows the electrical activity of your heart. Your heartbeats, or cardiac rhythms, are detected and recorded by the ECG. On a piece of paper strip, the results are printed. Also useful to your doctor is an ECG.

diagnose whether:

• You have arrhythmias
• Your heart medication is effective
• Blocked coronary arteries (in the heart) are cutting off blood and oxygen to your heart muscle
• Your blocked coronary arteries have caused a heart attack

In all, there are three kinds of tests that record your heart's electrical activity, each for a different period of time:

• Electrocardiogram (ECG)-done in the doctor's office. It records your heart rhythms for a few minutes.
• Holter monitoring– records and stores (in its memory) all of your heart rhythms for 24-48 hours.
• Event recorder-constantly records your heart rhythms. But it stores the rhythms (in its memory) only when you push a button.

What are the parts of an ECG strip?

Waves are the peaks that appear on an electrocardiogram (ECG) strip. All of the peaks and valleys together provide vital information to your doctor about the health of your heart:

• The P-wave shows your heart's upper chambers (atria) contracting
• The QRS complex shows your heart's lower chambers (ventricles) contracting
• The T-wave shows your heart's ventricles relaxing

What can I expect?

You take off your clothes up to your waist, put on a medical gown, and lie down on a table to have an electrocardiogram (ECG). Your chest, neck, arms, and legs may receive as many as 12 electrode patches. The electrodes on the ECG equipment sense the electrical signals coming from the heart. The device then plots a strip of graph paper with the beat of your heart on it.

What are the treatment options?

Ventricular fibrillation (VF) can easily progress to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and sudden death (SCD), so it's important to seek treatment right away. Doctors have found that 95% of heart attack patients die before reaching the hospital. Topical treatments include:

Emergency Resuscitation (CPR) - includes chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. CPR is essential to get oxygen to the brain before an electric shock is administered. Defibrillation is the best treatment for VF. A defibrillator sends a strong electric shock to the heart to stop the arrhythmia and restore the heart's normal rhythm. Brain damage begins within 4 to 6 minutes of ventricular fibrillation, so defibrillation should be performed as soon as possible.

There are two types of defibrillators:

• External defibrillators use paddles to deliver the shock to the outside of the chest. You've often seen this on TV medical dramas. Some public buildings like sports arenas and airports now have external defibrillators available for such emergencies.
• Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) are implanted devices that can sense arrhythmias and deliver lifesaving shocks.

Procedures or drugs may also be used to treat people who have VF or are at high risk of developing it. But according to the American Heart Association, VF is regarded to be the arrhythmia that causes SCA and SCD the most frequently. Additionally, decreasing SCA without other treatments has not been found to be highly successful.

Defibrillator Implant (ICD Device Implant)

What is a defibrillator (ICD device)?

Ventricular fibrillation (VF) can easily progress to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and sudden death (SCD), so it's important to seek treatment right away. Doctors have found that 95% of heart attack patients die before reaching the hospital. Topical treatments include:

Emergency Resuscitation (CPR) - includes chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. CPR is essential to get oxygen to the brain before an electric shock is administered. Defibrillation is the best treatment for VF. A defibrillator sends a strong electric shock to the heart to stop the arrhythmia and restore the heart's normal rhythm. Brain damage begins within 4 to 6 minutes of ventricular fibrillation, so defibrillation should be performed as soon as possible.

• Anti-tachycardia pacing (ATP) delivers very small amounts of energy to your heart-so small that you can't feel the treatment.
• Cardioversion is a low-energy shock that treats fast but regular arrhythmias.
• Defibrillation is a high-energy shock that treats fast and chaotic (irregular) rhythms. Defibrillation is painful for an instant, but it can also save your life.

Procedures or drugs may also be used to treat people who have VF or are at high risk of developing it. But according to the American Heart Association, VF is regarded to be the arrhythmia that causes SCA and SCD the most frequently. Additionally, decreasing SCA without other treatments has not been found to be highly successful.

How is the implant procedure done?

An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) system consists of two parts.

Device : The device is very small and fits easily in the palm of your hand. It consists of small parts controlled by a battery powered computer.

Leads : Leads are thin, insulated wires that connect the device to the heart. The electrodes transmit electrical signals back and forth between the heart and the device.

The doctor inserts the electrode through a small incision, usually near the bone. The doctor gently guides the electrode through the blood vessels to the heart. Your doctor can see where the tube goes by looking at a video screen that contains real-time moving X-rays, called fluoroscopy. Your doctor will connect wires to the device and perform tests to determine if the two devices are working together to deliver the treatment. The doctor then places the device under the skin on the hip bone and closes the sutures.

What can I expect?

In principle, you should not eat or drink anything a few hours before the procedure. Remove your clothes and put on a hospital gown or sheet. Your procedure will be carried out in a 'catalogue lab'. You will lie on an exam table and an intravenous (IV) line will be placed in your arm. IVs provide fluids and medications during the procedure. Drugs make you dizzy, but they don't make you pass out.

The doctor inserts electrodes through a small incision near the spine. The area will be numb and you won't feel any pain, but you may feel some pressure when the electrodes are inserted. Because it shocks your heart, you may feel numb when the device is tested. You may spend a night in the hospital and feel tender around the incision site. After that, most people recover quickly.