Skip Navigation

European Heart Journal 1989 10(6):551-554;
Copyright © 1989 by the European Society of Cardiology.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by JAKOBSSON, J.
Right arrow Articles by NYQUIST, O.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by JAKOBSSON, J.
Right arrow Articles by NYQUIST, O.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1989 The European Society of Cardiology

Energy requirement for early defibrillation

J. JAKOBSSON*,, N. REHNQVIST{dagger} and O. NYQUIST{ddagger}

*Department of Anaesthesiology Stockholm, Sweden
{dagger}Internal Medicine Stockholm, Sweden
{ddagger}Karolinska Institute at Danderyd Hospital and Department of Internal Medicine Stockholm, Sweden
Karolinska Institute at Huddinge Hospital Stockholm, Sweden

Received 5 July 1988; accepted 24 October 1988.

Address for correspondence: Jan Jakobsson, M.D., Department of Anaesthesiology, Danderyd Hospital, S-182 88 Danderyd, Sweden.

Abstract

The appropriate energy requirement for defibrillation of out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation has been a matter of discussion. We analysed the effects of 360 J, 200 J or a combination of 200 and 360 J DC shocks given by ordinary manual defibrillators or semiautomatic defibrillators. 120 of 127 ventricular fibrillation episodes were converted by three or less 360 J DC shocks delivered by a manual defibrillator. All 28 ventricular fibrillation episodes were converted by an average of 1–9 DC shocks when 360 J were delivered by a semiautomatic defibrillator. 139 of 152 ventricular fibrillation episodes were converted by three or fewer 200 J DC shocks and 52 of 53 by 2 x 200 J followed, if needed, by 1 x 360 J DC shock delivered by the same semiauto–matic defibrillator. Three or fewer 360 J DC shocks seems completely adequate for conversion of most episodes of out–of–hospital ventricular fibrillation. There is no difference in the result of defibrillation by manual and semiautomatic defibrillators.

Key Words: Cardiac arrest • defibrillation


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.