1. Start CPR Within Minutes
Administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a person who is non-responsive due to a ventricular fibrillation is a treatment method that may be able to help save a life. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) occurs when your heart's normal pattern of beating becomes abnormal and "disorganized," making it impossible for blood (and therefore oxygen) to flow throughout your body. Start CPR within minutes of the VF episode, if possible. Friends and family members of people who have a history of heart disease can prepare themselves by becoming certified in CPR. Your local hospital or Red Cross will be able to give you more information about class times, fees and other requirements.
2. Explore theTwo Kinds of Defibrillation
Two different types of defibrillation can be used to treat VF. Most people are familiar, if only from television shows, with external defibrillation. In a hospital setting, paddles are placed on a patient's chest and provide an electrical shock that may be able to convert an abnormal heart rhythm back to a more predicable pattern. An internal defibrillator is called an ICD (implantable cardioverter defibrillator), and is surgically placed into the body of someone who has survived a ventricular fibrillation episode or has other heart issues that place him at high risk for arrhythmia. Powered by a battery, an ICD can also shock the heart back into a normal heartbeat when an abnormal rhythm is seen as life-threatening.
3. Take Medication
A number of drugs can be used to treat VF and other heart arrhythmias. Classes of medicines that are used for these purposes include beta blockers, sodium channel blockers and potassium channel blockers. If you are taking one of these medications and have uncomfortable side effects, including lightheadedness, fatigue or shortness of breath, call your doctor. There are several drugs in each of these groups, so it may take some time to find the treatment that works best for you.
