Ventricular Fibrillation
February 9th, 2016
In this form of cardiac arrhythmia, the human heart is no longer able to pump blood. The cause of this dysfunction is a failure in the transmission of the electrical signal which is formed in the sinus node. So-called orbital excitations in the ventricles are created that can result in frequencies of up to 800 per minute. A normal heartbeat is no longer possible causing an interruption of the pumping function of the heart and thus an interruption of the blood supply.
Due to the lack of oxygen in the brain and the organs, persons concerned suffer a circulatory collapse and lose consciousness in no time. If the patient is not treated quickly, he will die within a few minutes.
Normally, fibrillation is caused by a damage to the heart muscle due to a (previous) serious heart disease, for example, a heart attack or coronary heart diseases. Medications may also cause arrhythmia.
Symptoms: · unconsciousness, pallor, bluish discoloration of lips, dilated pupils, respiratory failure, non-palpable pulse |
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