Atrial and Ventricular Fibrillation

The heart is made up of many individual muscle cells. In order for it to work as a pump these cells must contract together. If they contract individually, in an uncoordinated manner, called fibrillation, then the part of the heart affected fails to function as a pump. If it is the atria affected, causing atrial fibrillation, the pulse rate is irregular. This may be caused by ischaemic heart disease, rheumatic fever in childhood, hypertensive heart disease, thyroid disease and excessive alcohol intake. It may be reversed by an electric shock - a process called cardio-version. If it is not reversed it may be controlled by drugs such as Digoxin from the foxglove plant. Since people with atrial fibrillation are at increased risk of suffering strokes, they may need treatment to thin the blood.

If it is the ventricular cells which are fibrillating - ventricular fibrillation - there is no cardiac output, and unless the condition is reversed immediately by using a defibrillator, or the circulation is supported by cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, then the patient dies. Ventricular fibrillation is the result of myocardial infarction.
 
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