What is ventricular fibrillation?

4 May 2021

It is an arrhythmia or heart rhythm abnormality in which the ventricles do not contract orderly and only vibrate, causing the heart to stop pumping blood to the body, which is why it constitutes a medical emergency that must be treated immediately since it is the main cause of sudden cardiac death. Urgent care includes cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of a defibrillator that delivers direct electrical shocks to the heart to restore proper function. Various heart diseases are the origin of ventricular fibrillation, such as:

Myocardial infarction.
Coronary artery disease.
Heart failure.
Cardiomyopathies.
Channelopathies.

It can also be caused by drowning, electric shocks, or the intake of some medications.

Signs and symptoms Ventricular fibrillation

Dizziness.
Nausea.
Difficulty breathing.
Chest pain.
Tachycardia.
Fainting.

If you experience any of these symptoms, go to the Saludora Medical Center Emergency Room to receive specialized medical care.

Potential risks:

Having cardiomyopathy
Heart damage from electrical shocks or some other type of accident.
Drug addiction.
Low levels of potassium or magnesium in the body.
Having previously suffered from ventricular fibrillation.
Having had a previous heart attack.
Being born with congenital heart disease.

Diagnosis and treatment Ventricular fibrillation

Tests needed to make a diagnosis include:

Blood test
Chest x-ray.
Electrocardiogram.
Echocardiogram.
MRI.
Angiography.
Computed tomography.

Emergency treatment consists of restoring the pumping and circulation of blood to minimize possible organic damage, especially in the brain.

The therapy to follow includes:

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Defibrillation.
Antiarrhythmic drugs.
Surgery:
- Defibrillator implantation.
- Cardiac ablation.
- Coronary angioplasty.
- Coronary bypass.

At the Cardiovascular Center, we offer you a wide range of prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and follow-up services to take care of you through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary care model. Come to us, we want to hear your heart.

Related centers and departments Ventricular fibrillation

Cardiovascular Center
High Specialty Surgery Center
Radiology and Molecular Imaging
Clinical Laboratory

Fuentes:

fundaciondelcorazon.com
myhealth.ucsd.edu
msdmanuals.com
mayoclinic.org
texasheart.org
medigraphic.org
Bautista-Vargas, William-Fernando. Pre-síncope y ablación de la contracción ventricular prematura con origen en la banda moderadora. Cardiovasc Metab Sci. 2020;31(4):131-136. doi:10.35366/97545.
Monge OJM, Quesada ACI. Síndrome de Brugada. Rev Clin Esc Med. 2019;9(3):53-55.
Rodríguez LLA, Rodríguez ME, Cruz EJM, et al. Fragmented QRS and sudden death in a patient with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy. CorSalud. 2019;11(1):70-74.
Dorantes SM, Ponce PE, Falcón RR. Short-coupled premature ventricular contractions triggering malignant arrhythmias. CorSalud. 2016;8(3):144-152.

How can we help you?

The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the Saludora Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.

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Comparison of COVID-19 vaccines

Pfizer-
BioNTech

Pfizer-BioNTech

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vaccine type: mRNA
Effectiveness: 95% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

No Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 21 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

Who should or shouldn’t get the vaccine?
People who should receive the vaccine are those over 16 years old.
People who should not receive the vaccine are those who have a history of anaphylactic shock (severe allergy) or who are allergic to any component of this vaccine such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polysorbate.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, nausea, malaise, and swollen lymph nodes.

How long will it take for me to be protected and what does it protect me from?
After 14 days of having the complete scheme (after the administration of the 2nd dose), the protection period is still under study. It protects us from serious COVID-19 or requiring hospitalization.

Moderna

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vaccine type: mRNA
Effectiveness: 94.5% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 28 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

Who should or shouldn’t get the vaccine?
People who should receive the vaccine are those over 18 years old.
People who should not receive the vaccine are those who have a history of anaphylactic shock (severe allergy) or who are allergic to any component of this vaccine.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, nausea, and swollen lymph nodes in the arm in which you received the injection.

Janssen/
Johnson
& Johnson

Janssen/ Johnson & Johnson

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 72.0% in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.
85% in the prevention of severe COVID-19.

Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives./strong>

How many doses are needed?
Only one dose in needed.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, headache, fatigue, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea.

How long will it take for me to be protected and what does it protect me from?
After 28 days of having the complete scheme (the last dose applied), the protection period is still under study. It protects us from 85% serious COVID-19 or requiring hospitalization.

AstraZeneca
and
Oxford
University

AstraZeneca and Oxford University

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Adenovirus vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 82% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 56 days apart (or up to 84 days apart, if necessary).

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, and fever, which were mild to moderate in intensity and disappeared within 48 hours of vaccination.

Sputnik V

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Adenovirus vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 92% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 21 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

What is ventricular fibrillation?

Signs and symptoms Ventricular fibrillation

Diagnosis and treatment Ventricular fibrillation

Related centers and departments Ventricular fibrillation

Fuentes:

Index

Specialist in Ventricular fibrillation