Fibrillation is an abnormally fast and chaotic heartbeat, or heart rhythm. An abnormal heart rhythm is called an arrhythmia. Arrhythmias result from a problem in your heart's electrical system. When fibrillation occurs in the heart's lower chambers (the ventricles) it is called ventricular fibrillation (VF).
VF causes the heart to beat more than 200-300 times per minute, rather than the normal rate of 60-100 beats per minute. VF is also a chaotic rhythm. That means the heart's ventricles try to contract so fast that they quiver than beat. This doesn't allow enough time for the ventricles to fill with blood is pumped out of the body. So less blood and oxygen are being sent to the body and - most - important - to the brain.
VF is the most dangerous type of arrhythmia. Within seconds after VF begins, a person can lose consciousness. If the person doesn't receive immediate treatment from a defibrillator, sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and sudden cardiac death (SCD) can occur within just a few minutes. |
