Ventricular Fibrillation

Question: Identify this acute or chronic illness, Ventricular fibrillation; discuss it, and the disease process that goes with it in the clinical setting. Answer: Ventricular Fibrillation (VF) is acute life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia. It is a serious condition in which is irregular rhythm of the cardiac muscle of the ventricles in the heart (Rea et al. 2014). This uncoordinated fluctuation alters normal interaction and puts the heartbeat and pulse beat out of sync. VF is the most frequently identified arrhythmia in cardiac arrest patient. Symptoms: When VF occurs, the two lower chamber of our heart are not able to pump enough to move blood through our body. This causes quick drop in our Blood pressure and as a result blood cannot get our crucial organs. The most common symptoms of VF are, one hour or less before losing consciousness patient will feel: Dizziness Nausea Chest pain Shortness of breath Fluttering heartbeat If someone experiencing VF symptoms then they should immediately call for help. Emergency Treatment: Emergency treatment of VF focuses on recovering blood flow through our body as fast as possible to stop damage in brain and other organs (Nademanee et al. 2011). Emergency treatments include: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation: This treatment helps to maintain blood flow by mimicking the pumping motion that our heart makes. This is the process of pushing tough and fast on the patients chest almost 100 compressions per minute. Defibrillation: This is an electric shock through the chest barrier to the heart that temporarily stops the heart and the disordered rhythm after that it continues the normal heart rhythm. Medications: Various anti-arrhythmic drugs like a class of Beta blockers are used for emergency or long-term treatment. Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator: After stable condition of patient ICD can be implemented. It is a battery power unit thats implemented near the left collarbone and constantly monitor heart rhythm. Coronary Angioplasty: this treatment is for severe VF that opens blocked coronary arteries and allows flowing blood freely to heart. Coronary Bypass Surgery: This is a surgery that involves sewing the veins or arteries in a place at a site away from the blocked coronary artery. Reference List: Rea, T., Olsufka, M., Yin, L., Maynard, C., Cobb, L. (2014). The relationship between chest compression fraction and outcome from ventricular fibrillation arrests in prolonged resuscitations.Resuscitation,85(7), 879-884. Nademanee, K., Veerakul, G., Chandanamattha, P., Chaothawee, L., Ariyachaipanich, A., Jirasirirojanakorn, K., ... Ngarmukos, T. (2011). Prevention of ventricular fibrillation episodes in Brugada syndrome by catheter ablation over the anterior right ventricular outflow tract epicardium.Circulation,123(12), 1270-1279.