Glossary/Arrhythmia

Ventricular Fibrillation.

A chaotic, disorganized electrical activity in the ventricles that causes the heart to quiver instead of pumping blood. A medical emergency that leads to cardiac arrest and death within minutes if not treated with defibrillation.

Definition

What is ventricular fibrillation?

A chaotic, disorganized electrical activity in the ventricles that causes the heart to quiver instead of pumping blood. A medical emergency that leads to cardiac arrest and death within minutes if not treated with defibrillation.

Related Terms

Related glossary terms.

Ventricular Tachycardia
A fast, abnormal heart rhythm originating in the ventricles. Can be life-threatening if sustained...
ICD
Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator. A device similar to a pacemaker that can also detect and ...
Sudden Cardiac Death
Unexpected death caused by sudden loss of heart function, usually due to ventricular fibrillation...
Cardiac Arrest
The sudden cessation of effective heart pumping, leading to loss of consciousness and death withi...
See Also

Related conditions we review.

Surgical Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation
Ventricular Septal Defect (Adult)
LVAD (Left Ventricular Assist Device)
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