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What do you give for refractory ventricular fibrillation?

What do you give for refractory ventricular fibrillation?

Epinephrine is the first drug given and may be repeated every 3 to 5 minutes. If epinephrine is not effective, the next medication in the algorithm is amiodarone 300 mg. Defibrillation and medication are given in an alternating fashion between cycles of 2 minutes of high-quality CPR.

What does it mean when a rhythm is refractory?

Refractory shockable rhythm was defined as those that did not achieve return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after 3 cycles of defibrillation and 10 minutes of CPR.

Can you survive ventricular fibrillation?

Survival: Overall survival to 1 month was only 1.6% for patients with non-shockable rhythms and 9.5% for patients found in VF. With increasing time to defibrillation, the survival rate fell rapidly from approximately 50% with a minimal delay to 5% at 15 min.

Is ventricular fibrillation a serious condition?

Ventricular fibrillation is a type of arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, that affects your heart’s ventricles. Ventricular fibrillation is life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention. CPR and defibrillation can restore your heart to its normal rhythm and may be life saving.

What is the best treatment for ventricular fibrillation?

Emergency treatment for ventricular fibrillation includes cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and shocks to the heart with a device called an automated external defibrillator (AED). Medications, implanted devices or surgery may be recommended to prevent episodes of ventricular fibrillation.

Can CPR alone treat ventricular fibrillation?

Ventricular fibrillation requires emergency medical treatment to prevent sudden cardiac death. The goal of emergency treatment is to restore blood flow as quickly as possible to prevent organ and brain damage. Emergency treatment for ventricular fibrillation includes: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

How is refractory V fib treated?

Commonly used treatments for patients with OHCA combine cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and early defibrillation by bystanders, with advanced cardiac life support by emergency medical services providers that includes CPR, defibrillation, and intravenous (IV) drugs, and post-resuscitation care in hospital.

What is worse AFIB or VFIB?

Ventricular fibrillation is more serious than atrial fibrillation. Ventricular fibrillation frequently results in loss of consciousness and death, because ventricular arrhythmias are more likely to interrupt the pumping of blood, or undermine the heart’s ability to supply the body with oxygen-rich blood.

What should I do after ventricular fibrillation?

Treatment includes:

  • CPR. The first response to V-fib may be cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
  • Defibrillation. This is an electrical shock that is delivered to your chest wall to restore normal rhythm.
  • Medicines.
  • Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).
  • Catheter ablation.
  • Left cardiac sympathetic denervation.

What is the prognosis for ventricular fibrillation?

The outlook for a person with untreated ventricular fibrillation is poor. The individual usually will die within a few minutes if untreated. Even if VFib is treated, survival rates at best range from about 20%-35%. Rates are higher if the person is taken to the hospital immediately and receives medical care.

How do you treat ventricular fibrillation?

Ventricular fibrillation is treated by applying an electric shock to the chest externally or directly to the heart internally so that the electric current that runs through the cells of the heart can be reset and the normal pacemaker of the heart can take over.

What causes V fib?

V-fib can have several root causes, including: Insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle. Damage to the heart muscle (from a heart attack, for example) Cardiomyopathy . Problems with the aorta. Drug toxicity.

How can ventricular fibrillation be prevented?

Treatments to prevent sudden cardiac death for those at risk of ventricular fibrillation include medications and implantable devices that can restore a normal heart rhythm.