What Are the Functions of a Defibrillator?

With the inclusion of so many medical dramas on television, people outside of the medical field have been exposed to common medical terminologies, medications and instrument names. You may have heard of a defibrillator, but have little to no idea what it is and how it functions.

Definition

• The defibrillator is a piece of machinery that monitors the rate and rhythm of the heart and administers an electrical shock to restore a regular heartbeat. The physician programs the machine based on the patient's condition and symptoms.

Defibrillation

• Abnormal muscle contractions within the heart, which are unsynchronized and irregular, are called a fibrillation. Use of the defibrillator will shock the heart back into a normal rhythm.

Anti-Tachycardia Pacing

• Tachycardia is a condition in which the heart begins to beat too fast outside of the normal rhythm. Using a series of smaller electrical shocks, the defibrillator causes the pace of the heart to fall back into normal rhythm.

Bradycardia

• Bradycardia occurs when the rhythm of the heartbeat is too slow. To attempt to pace it correctly, the defibrillator delivers a series of low-level electrical shocks to the heart. The procedure is similar to what a pacemaker does, without the surgery and with only temporary effects.

Cardioversion

• If the low-level electrical shocks do not to put the heart back into a normal beat rate, then the defibrillator can facilitate a procedure called cardioversion. This involves using one slightly larger shock to the heart to attempt to restore its normal beat.