Ventricular fibrillation, pulseless electrical activity and sudden cardiac arrest
Ventricular fibrillation, pulseless electrical activity (PEA) and sudden cardiac arrest This chapter will focus on ventricular fibrillation and pulseless electrical activity (PEA). These are highly lethal arrhythmias that lead to death if cardiopulmonary resuscitation is not started immediately. Ventricular fibrillation is the result of numerous re-entry circuits , causing rapid and chaotic ventricular depolarizations, rendering the left ventricle incapable of generating effective contractions. This results in circulatory collapse, loss of consciousness, and sudden cardiac arrest . Unlike ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation seldom self-terminates and death is imminent without immediate and resuscitative efforts. Approximately 80% of individuals who suffer a sudden cardiac arrest have ventricular fibrillation prior to the cardiac arrest. Most of these have atherosclerotic heart disease (coronary artery disease) as the underlying cause. Other common causes are cardiomyopathy (…
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Cuộc đời thì ngắn, mà nghề thì miên man;cơn bệnh phập phù;kinh nghiệm hiểm nguy, còn quyết định thì thật khó.Người thầy thuốc không phải chỉ chuẩn bị để tự mình làm đúng, mà còn khiến cho bệnh nhân, người đi theo và các yếu tố xung quanh hợp tác hài…