Definition

1. Verb (transitive):
   • To stop the life-threatening, chaotic quivering of the heart muscle (fibrillation) and restore a normal, regular heartbeat, typically by administering a controlled electric shock to the chest.

Usage

• The verb "defibrillate" is used in medical contexts, specifically in emergency medicine and cardiology. It describes a critical intervention performed on a patient experiencing cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia.
• It is almost always used with a direct object (the patient or the heart).
• Example: "The paramedics had to defibrillate the patient immediately."

Examples

• Verb:
  • The doctor used an automated external defibrillator (AED) to defibrillate the collapsed man.
  • If the heart rhythm does not improve, we may need to defibrillate again.
  • The patient was successfully defibrillated and regained a pulse.

Advanced Usage

• "to defibrillate a patient": This is the most common construction, focusing on the person receiving treatment.
• "to defibrillate the heart": A more specific construction focusing on the organ being treated.

Variants and Related Words

• Defibrillation (n): The act or process of defibrillating.
  • Rapid defibrillation is crucial for survival.
• Defibrillator (n): The medical device used to administer the electric shock.
  • All public buildings should have an accessible defibrillator.

Synonyms

• Cardioversion (n): A broader medical term for restoring a normal heart rhythm, which can include electrical shock (electrical cardioversion) or medication (chemical cardioversion). "Defibrillate" is a specific type of electrical cardioversion used for life-threatening arrhythmias without a pulse.

Antonyms / Contrasting Terms

• Fibrillate (v): To undergo fibrillation; to quiver or contract in an uncoordinated, chaotic manner.
  • The heart began to fibrillate, leading to cardiac arrest.

Verb

1. stop the fibrillation and restore normal contractions, usually by means of electric shocks
   • The patient's heart had to be defibrillated to save his life