title: Effects of monophasic and biphasic shocks on action potentials during ventricular fibrillation in dogs.
abstract: This study determined the response of action potentials during ventricular fibrillation (VF) to timed monophasic and biphasic shocks. A floating glass microelectrode was used to record intracellularly from the anterior right ventricle in 10 open-chest dogs. After 10 seconds of electrically induced VF, 5-millisecond monophasic and 2.5/2.5-millisecond biphasic shocks or 16-millisecond monophasic and 8/8-millisecond biphasic shocks were given via mesh electrodes on either side of the microelectrode. Monophasic and biphasic truncated exponential shocks of 5 V/cm were given with coupling intervals timed from the beginning of a VF action potential to the shock ranging from 50 to 70 milliseconds in 5-millisecond increments. Each coupling interval for each waveform was tested during a different VF episode. The interval between successive activations during VF was 86 +/- 15 milliseconds (mean +/- SD). The refractory period during VF was 61 +/- 5 milliseconds for 5-millisecond monophasic shocks and 66 +/- 6 milliseconds for 2.5/2.5-millisecond biphasic shocks (P < .05). At each coupling interval, action potential duration at 50% repolarization (APD50) was significantly prolonged by the shocks compared with the mean preshock APD50 (P < .05). ADP50 duration increased significantly with increases in the coupling interval (P < .05) for both monophasic and biphasic waveforms. For all coupling intervals together, APD50 prolongation as a percent of the mean preshock APD50 was 170 +/- 55%, 192 +/- 45%, 151 +/- 44%, and 175 +/- 45% for 5- and 16-millisecond monophasic and 2.5/2.5- and 8/8-millisecond biphasic waveforms, respectively. This APD50 prolongation was greater for monophasic than biphasic shocks and was greater for longer than shorter waveforms (P < .05). Thus, during VF, (1) the refractory period for 5-V/cm truncated exponential waveforms lasting 5 milliseconds is approximately 75% of the VF activation interval; (2) the refractory period is shorter for monophasic than for comparable biphasic waveforms; (3) both monophasic and biphasic 5-V/cm shock fields cause prolongation of action potential duration; (4) prolongation of action potential duration increases as the coupling interval increases; and (5) prolongation of action potential duration is greater for monophasic shocks and for longer shock waveforms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Rollins
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Afework
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Ideker
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D004554:Electric Countershock / Q000379:methods*; D008839:Microelectrodes; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D011930:Reaction Time; D012032:Refractory Period, Electrophysiological; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*