Question

Goal of Defibrillation: Because VF and VT are the result of abnormal pacing of groups of ventricular myocardial cells by the myocardial cells themselves rather than the natural pacemakers, the goal of electrical defibrillation is to depolarize as many of these cells as possible, driving them into their refractory period and stopping the ineffective activity. This means that the ultimate goal of electrical defibrillation is to stop all electrical and mechanical activity in the ventricles in order to permit the resynchronization of the electrical activity of the heart.

Answer 1

Defibrillation aims to restore normal heart rhythm by stopping all abnormal ventricular activity, often through the use of AEDs, which can be operated by the public for emergency response to ventricular fibrillation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The goal of electrical defibrillation is to stop all abnormal electrical and mechanical activity in the ventricles, allowing for the re-establishment of a normal heart rhythm. This is essential in cases of ventricular fibrillation (VF) or ventricular tachycardia (VT) where the heart is unable to pump blood effectively.

Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are designed for public use and contain verbal instructions, enabling nonmedical personnel to provide life-saving measures. AEDs analyze a patient's heart rhythm and deliver an appropriate electric shock, often preceded by CPR, to re-synchronize the heart's natural pacemaker's rhythm.

In the case of ventricular fibrillation, very large currents are used to depolarize all of the heart's cells at once, causing the heart and diaphragm to contract momentarily, stopping all heart activity but often allowing a normal rhythm to re-emerge after the shock.