Certain life-threatening heart rhythms can be treated with defibrillation, an electrical shock intended to restore a normal heartbeat. These rhythms, due to their chaotic or abnormally rapid electrical activity, prevent the heart from effectively pumping blood, leading to cardiac arrest. There are four distinct dysrhythmias where defibrillation is the appropriate and potentially life-saving intervention.
Recognizing and appropriately treating these rhythms is paramount in emergency medical care. Prompt defibrillation significantly increases the chances of survival following cardiac arrest. Understanding the characteristics of each rhythm and the rationale behind electrical therapy allows medical professionals to respond quickly and effectively, minimizing the time spent in cardiac arrest and improving patient outcomes. The development and refinement of defibrillation techniques have dramatically improved survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest over the past several decades.
