Understanding Defibrillation: Types, Uses, and Risks

Defibrillation is a medical treatment that uses electrical shocks to restore a normal heartbeat in people who have life-threatening heart rhythms. These rhythms, called arrhythmias, can cause the heart to stop beating effectively and lead to cardiac arrest. Defibrillation works by disrupting the abnormal electrical signals that are causing the arrhythmia and allowing the heart to resume its normal beating pattern.

There are two main types of defibrillation:

1. External defibrillation: This type of defibrillation is performed using a device called an automated external defibrillator (AED). The AED is applied to the person's chest and delivers an electric shock through electrodes on the pads.
2. Internal defibrillation: This type of defibrillation is performed during surgery by implanting a device called a cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) in the chest. The ICD is programmed to detect and correct abnormal heart rhythms.

Defibrillative therapy can be used to treat a variety of life-threatening arrhythmias, including ventricular fibrillation (VF), pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT), and cardiac arrest caused by a heart attack or other conditions. It is important to note that defibrillation should only be performed by trained medical professionals, as it can be dangerous if not done correctly.