A myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when the heart doesn't get enough oxygen. This lack of oxygen can disrupt the heart’s electrical system, leading to ventricular fibrillation, which may cause sudden cardiac arrest if not treated properly.
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What is ventricular fibrillation?
Ventricular fibrillation, often called v-fib or VF, happens when the ventricles quiver or tremble rapidly instead of contracting normally. This rapid, chaotic rhythm prevents the heart from delivering blood to the body, including vital organs like the brain, causing you to pass out. VF requires urgent medical intervention to restore a normal heartbeat and prevent life-threatening complications.
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What is VF arrhythmia?
Ventricular fibrillation is a type of arrhythmia, a heart condition where the heart's rhythm is irregular. There are many kinds of arrhythmia, and they have different effects, such as making the heart go too fast, too slow, or beat irregularly.
VF arrhythmia is a form of irregular heartbeat where the heart stops performing its normal function altogether.
What does ventricular fibrillation do?
When V-fib occurs, the heart cannot pump oxygen-rich blood to the body. Without this essential blood flow, the brain and other organs are deprived of oxygen, leading to unconsciousness. If left untreated, VF can quickly become life-threatening.
Ventricular fibrillation symptoms
Ventricular fibrillation often strikes suddenly and not everyone experiences symptoms, but there may be warning signs before it occurs. V-fib symptoms include:
- Heart palpitations (feeling like your heart is racing, fluttering, or pounding)
- Difficulty breathing
- Chest pain
- Dizziness
If you or someone near you suddenly collapses or shows v-fib symptoms, call 911.
What causes ventricular fibrillation?
Ventricular fibrillation happens when the heart's electrical system malfunctions, often due to underlying heart issues or disrupted blood flow to the heart. Occasionally, the cause is idiopathic, which means doctors don't know why it happened. Possible causes include:
- Heart disease
- Medications that affect the body's electrical signals
- Heart valve diseases
- Potassium imbalances
- Chest trauma from a small object
- Structural changes to the heart from disease or surgery
Risk factors for ventricular fibrillation
Some factors make ventricular fibrillation more likely. V-fib is more common:
- If you've had a heart attack before
- If you’ve had v-fib before
- If you use illegal drugs
- If you have severe electrolyte imbalances
- With certain genetic conditions, such as Brugada syndrome and prolonged QT syndrome
- If you carry specific genetic variants, such as DPP6
- If you have a family history of VF
How to prevent ventricular fibrillation
Because ventricular fibrillation is a life-threatening disease, prevention is the key to good outcomes. Anyone who is at risk of v-fib should:
- Educate family and friends on what to do in case of VF
- Wear a medical alert bracelet, which can provide essential information to first responders during a medical emergency
- Make heart-healthy lifestyle choices
- Encourage friends and family to learn CPR
- Talk to their doctor about medicines to reduce the likelihood of v-fib
For individuals who have experienced VF before or are at high risk, your doctor may recommend an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). This small device continuously monitors your heart and can deliver a life-saving shock to restore a normal heartbeat if VF occurs.
FAQs about ventricular fibrillation
No, but it's closely related. Ventricular fibrillation is a serious heart condition where the lower chambers of the heart quiver or twitch instead of beating normally. Left untreated, VF can cause sudden cardiac arrest (when the heart stops pumping blood completely).
No, a person experiencing ventricular fibrillation will not have a detectable pulse because the heart isn’t pumping blood effectively.
Ventricular fibrillation is fatal without treatment because it stops the heart from pumping blood to the body. Without blood flow, vital organs like the brain can't function.
"Refractory" is a medical term that means "resistant to treatment." Refractory ventricular fibrillation refers to a type of VF that doesn’t respond to initial treatments. This means normal circulation hasn’t been restored after three defibrillation attempts and the use of medications like amiodarone and epinephrine within about 10 minutes.
The most common cause of ventricular fibrillation is a heart attack (myocardial infarction). VF often happens during or shortly after a heart attack.
Yes, stress can increase the likelihood and severity of ventricular arrhythmias, including ventricular fibrillation.
During ventricular fibrillation, the heart doesn’t produce a coordinated rhythm or a detectable pulse. Instead, the heart's lower chambers quiver quickly. On an electrocardiogram (EKG), VF can appear as a heart rate of 200-300 beats per minute, far faster than the normal 60-100 beats per minute of a healthy heart.
