Ventricular Fibrillation - Ventricular Rhythms.

Description

• The morphologic features are different with this dysrhythmia. No P wave and no QRS complexes. This rhythm presents with a chaotic waveform which reflects the electrical chaos occurring within the heart.
• The heart is not actually beating as we know it. The chaos occurs as a result of small regions of tissue which are independently depolarizing.
• This rapid disorganized electrical activity actually makes the heart appear to quiver in response to this activity. Some have described it as shaking like Jello.
• Fibrillatory waves may be coarse or very fine. This is based upon their size. The longer V Fib occurs, the smaller the waveforms are likely to be.
• (Description continues on next slide)

Description (continued)

• Coarse V Fib is when a majority of the waveforms measure 3 mm or greater
• Fine V Fib is when a majority of the waveforms measure less than 3 mm
• This is absolutely a life-threatening dysrhythmia which requires, immediate, effective, and aggressive care.
• (Follow your local reporting and treatment protocols)
• If your patient is talking to you when you see this on the monitor, then your patient is not in V Fib. Always, check your patient first, but there will likely be a loose or disconnected lead wire or electrode.

Practice Strip

Analyze this tracing using the five steps of rhythm analysis.

Show Answer

• Rhythm: Irregular
• Rate: Unable to determine
• P Wave: absent
• PR interval: absent
• QRS: absent
• Interpretation: Ventricular Fibrillation (Fine)