ventricular fibrillation

ventricular fibrillation
Pathol. a cardiac arrhythmia characterized by rapid, chaotic electrical impulses to the ventricles, incomplete ventricular contractions, and resultant loss of pulse and blood pressure.

* * *

Uncoordinated contraction of the muscle fibres of the heart's ventricles (see arrhythmia).

Causes include heart attack, electric shock, anoxia, abnormally high potassium or low calcium in the blood, and digitalis or epinephrine poisoning (see drug poisoning). Death soon follows if circulation is not restored with electric shocks (defibrillation) or drugs supplemented by chest compressions (as in cardiopulmonary resuscitation). See also atrial fibrillation.

* * *

      a type of arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm) characterized by the irregular and uncoordinated contraction of the muscle fibres of the ventricles (ventricle), the lower chambers of the heart. Since ventricular fibrillation completely prevents the heart from functioning as a pump, it quickly brings death unless emergency measures restore the circulation of oxygenated blood throughout the body. Ventricular fibrillation may result from myocardial infarction ( heart attack involving the death of a section of heart muscle) or from electric shock, deprivation of oxygen, certain chemical imbalances in the blood (abnormally high levels of potassium or low levels of calcium), or the administration of certain drugs. Treatment centres on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), electrical defibrillation (the administration of electric shocks), and antiarrhythmic drugs. These measures are supplemented by closed chest massage, which serves to maintain systemic circulation and the integrity of the vascular beds. See also atrial fibrillation.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Ventricular fibrillation — Infobox Disease Name = PAGENAME Caption = ECG lead showing VF DiseasesDB = ICD10 = ICD10|I|49|0|i|40 ICD9 = ICD9|427.41 ICDO = OMIM = MedlinePlus = eMedicineSubj = eMedicineTopic = MeshID = D014693 Ventricular fibrillation (V fib or VF) is a… …   Wikipedia

  • Ventricular fibrillation — An abnormal irregular heart rhythm whereby there are very rapid uncoordinated fluttering contractions of the lower chambers (ventricles) of the heart. Ventricular fibrillation disrupts the synchrony between the heartbeat and the pulse beat.… …   Medical dictionary

  • ventricular fibrillation — noun fibrillation of heart muscles resulting in interference with rhythmic contractions of the ventricles and possibly leading to cardiac arrest • Hypernyms: ↑fibrillation, ↑cardiac arrhythmia, ↑arrhythmia * * * noun : very rapid uncoordinated… …   Useful english dictionary

  • ventricular fibrillation — VF; see fibrillation …   The new mediacal dictionary

  • ventricular fibrillation — noun Condition where the cardiac muscle is contracted irregularly and rapidly …   Wiktionary

  • ventricular fibrillation — /vɛnˌtrɪkjələ fɪbrəˈleɪʃən/ (say ven.trikyuhluh fibruh layshuhn) noun a cardiac arrhythmia, in which the ventricles of the heart are fibrillating, thus causing ineffective contraction; fatal unless normal rhythm is restored …  

  • Ventricular tachycardia — Classification and external resources ICD 10 I …   Wikipedia

  • Fibrillation — is the rapid, irregular, and unsynchronized contraction of the muscle fibers of the heart. There are two major classes of fibrillation, atrial fibrillation and ventricular fibrillation.* Atrial fibrillation can be a chronic condition, usually… …   Wikipedia

  • Fibrillation — ist ein medizinischer Fachausdruck aus der englischen Literatur, der im Deutschen weniger geläufig ist. In der Medizin bezeichnet er spontane Zuckungen einzelner Muskelfasern der Skelettmuskulatur.[1] In der Kardiologie bezieht sich die… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Fibrillation — In matters of the heart (cardiology), fibrillation is incoordinate twitching of the heart muscle fibers. The difference between fibrillation and flutter is that fibrillation is not well organized while flutter is. For example, atrial flutter is… …   Medical dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”