Administration of one or more brief electric shocks to the heart, usually via 2 metal plates, or paddles, placed on the chest over the heart. It is performed to return a heart’s rhythm to normal in some types of arrhythmia (irregular or rapid heartbeat), such as atrial fibrillation or ventricular fibrillation. Defibrillation can be carried out as an emergency procedure to treat ventricular fibrillation, which is a cause of cardiac arrest and most commonly occurs after a heart attack (see myocardial infarction).
It can also be used as a planned treatment, in which case it is performed under a brief general anaesthesia.
Breathing may be maintained artificially during the procedure.... defibrillation
If a heart is ?brillating (see VENTRICULAR FIBRILLATION), the application of a large electric shock via paddles applied to the chest wall causes simultaneous electrical depolarisation of all the cardiac cells, and may allow the heart’s natural pacemaker to re-establish sinus rhythm. One paddle is placed below the right clavicle and the other over the cardiac apex. Care must be taken that no one is in contact with the patient or the bed when the shock is given, to avoid electrocution.... defibrillation
programmes of lay education in the UK that aim to provide training in cardiac resuscitation up to and including *defibrillation. Together with programmes to increase the availability of *automated external defibrillators in public places (e.g. shops and railway stations), they recognize that the best outcomes from cardiac resuscitation are obtained with early defibrillation and good bystander basic life support.... public access defibrillation programmes
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