title: Electrical requirements for ventricular defibrillation.
abstract: Most deaths from ischaemic heart disease are sudden, occur outside hospital, and result from ventricular fibrillation. But defibrillators have only limited availability because of their size and weight. A miniature defibrillator has been developed. A singe low-energy shock succeeded in removing ventricular fibrillation in 73 out of 82 episodes, and a further shock was successful in seven more episodes. Primary ventricular fibrillation probably always responds to low-energy electrical shocks, which challenges the conventional view that correction of ventricular fibrillation requires high-energy direct-current shock. Thus even smaller and lighter defibrillators are possible. Furthermore low-energy shocks cause less myocardial damage.
mesh_terms: D001835:Body Weight; D003153:Community Health Services; D004554:Electric Countershock / Q000295:instrumentation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications; D011674:Pulse; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000628:therapy*