Cardiac Rhythms: V Fib + Asystole (PDF)

Cardiac Rhythms: V Fib + Asystole Maddie and Ethan V fib = Ventricular fibrillation → A lethal dysrhythmia → Rapid, disorganized pattern of electrical activity in the ventricles → The ventricles are quivering, not contracting → Blood is unable to be pumped throughout the body → 2 types of ventricular...

Cardiac Rhythms: V Fib + Asystole Maddie and Ethan V fib = Ventricular fibrillation → A lethal dysrhythmia → Rapid, disorganized pattern of electrical activity in the ventricles → The ventricles are quivering, not contracting → Blood is unable to be pumped throughout the body → 2 types of ventricular fibrillation: coarse and fine Coarse= ❖ ❖ Amplitude; > 3mm More irregular than fine v-fib waves Fine= ❖ ❖ Amplitude; < 3mm Less likely to respond to treatment Just some fun facts 1 What causes V-fib? 2 V-fib is usually the result of: Severe heart disease Electrical shock Trauma Drug toxicity Severe electrolyte imbalance What are the defining characteristics of V-fib? Rate= Unknown Rhythm= Chaotic and irregular P-wave= Absent PR interval= Absent QRS complex= Absent *NO PULSE= SHOCKABLE* 3 How do I identify the onset of V-fib? Before V-fib, patients present with: Chest pain Difficulty breathing During V-fib, patients present with: Rapid unconsciousness Gasping No pulse Jugular vein distension Cyanotic or mottled skin 1 big box = 5mm or 0.5 mV (0.2 seconds) How to read an EKG + how V-fib looks on an EKG 1 small box= 1mm or 0.1 mV (0.04 seconds) No P wave No P-R segment No QRS complex No S-T segment No T wave = amplitude “Take c of v-fib get lik me” Asystole 1. Heart’s electrical system fails 2. Causes heart to stop pumping 3. Electrocardiogram appears as a “flat-line” Facts about asystole Causes can include: ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Blood loss Hypoxia Electrolyte imbalance Dehydration Myocardial infarction Other arrhythmias Trauma Considered a rhythm that cannot be fixed using an AED. Chances of survival have a poor prognosis with survival rate being