Definition

Noun: A life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia characterized by rapid, irregular, and ineffective quivering of the heart's ventricular muscles. This disrupts the coordinated contractions needed to pump blood, causing a catastrophic drop in blood pressure and leading to unconsciousness and cardiac arrest if not treated immediately.

Usage

This is a medical term used specifically to describe a critical heart condition. * It is typically used as a subject or object in sentences discussing cardiac emergencies, symptoms, causes, or treatments. * Example: "The patient was diagnosed with ventricular fibrillation." * Example: "The monitor showed ventricular fibrillation."

Examples

• As a subject: "Ventricular fibrillation is a medical emergency that requires immediate defibrillation."
• As an object: "The paramedics used a defibrillator to correct the ventricular fibrillation."
• With a preposition: "He went into ventricular fibrillation after the heart attack."

Advanced Usage

• "to go into ventricular fibrillation": This phrase describes the sudden onset of the condition.
  • The patient's heart went into ventricular fibrillation during the procedure.
• "to be in ventricular fibrillation": This describes the state of having the condition.
  • The ECG confirmed the patient was in ventricular fibrillation.

Variants and Related Words

• V-fib (n.): A common abbreviation used in emergency medical contexts.
  • "We have a code blue, patient is in V-fib!"
• Fibrillation (n.): The broader medical term for rapid, irregular, and unsynchronized muscle contractions. "Ventricular" specifies it occurs in the heart's lower chambers (ventricles).
• Defibrillation (n.): The treatment for ventricular fibrillation, which uses an electric shock to restore a normal heart rhythm.

Synonyms

• Cardiac arrhythmia: A general term for any irregular heartbeat, under which ventricular fibrillation is a specific, severe type.
• Lethal arrhythmia: Emphasizes the life-threatening nature of the condition.

Related Phrases

• Sudden cardiac arrest: This is often the immediate result of untreated ventricular fibrillation.
• CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation): A vital first-aid procedure used to maintain blood flow until defibrillation can be administered for ventricular fibrillation.

Noun

1. fibrillation of heart muscles resulting in interference with rhythmic contractions of the ventricles and possibly leading to cardiac arrest