Defibrillation and Cardioversion

Description

Defibrillation is the asynchronous delivery of energy, such as the shock is delivered randomly during the cardiac cycle.Cardioversion is the delivery of energy that is synchronized to the QRS complex.Defibrillation and cardioversion may be accomplished using a manual defibrillator, which requires users to recognize the dysrhythmia and preselect the energy to be delivered. Alternatively, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) may be used. AEDs are computerized machines that automatically diagnose ventricular fibrillation (VF) and use voice prompts to instruct rescuers to defibrillate, if appropriate. In addition, based on preset values for heart rate and R-wave morphology, AEDs may advise defibrillation for ventricular tachycardia (VT).