Altered electrical activity of fibrillation process following thrombolytic therapy in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients with sustained ventricular fibrillation.
The likelihood of successful defibrillation in patients with sustained ventricular fibrillation (VF) is increased after administering thrombolytics during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). While dissolution of coronary artery thrombosis resolves the underlying cause of myocardial infarction in the majority of patients, improved microcirculatory reperfusion and alteration of the electrical activity of the fibrillation process may increase the likelihood of restoring spontaneous circulation in cardiac arrest patients. Electrocardiography is a sensitive means of displaying current myocardial perfusion in VF using changes in the frequency and amplitude of fibrillation. Our hypothesis postulates that thrombolytic therapy during CPR increases fibrillation frequency, fibrillation amplitude and amplitude spectrum area, thus improving ventricular fibrillation status and the chance of successful defibrillation.
Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Anaesthesiology Research Laboratory, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstr. 35, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria. wolfgang.lederer@uibk.ac.at
Wolfgang
W
Lederer
Christoph J
CJ
Schlimp
Thomas
T
Niederklapfer
Anton
A
Amann
D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; D004554:Electric Countershock; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D015425:Myocardial Reperfusion; D010045:Outpatients; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*