Question 1

what's the difference between vfib and afib?

Accepted Answer

Top vs Bottom : Ventricular fibrillation is from the bottom chamber; vf is worse; it usually causes cardiac arrest which is often fatal. Atrial fibrillation - from the top chamber- while not as severe, also has significant health risks. It increases the risk of stroke, which can be disabling or fatal.

Question 2

read about idiopathic vfib which terrifies me, im so worried about it since its common and a common cause of sudden death in young adults. what are the statistics on this? im so scared of this?

Accepted Answer

: Very UNLIKELY.  Worry bout seat belt use in car/use them. Don't live with smoker.

Question 3

vtac/vfib vs asystole?

Accepted Answer

Both critical: Asystole mean ther is no heart activity the heart is not beating or moving in any way, it is the rhythm that a patient has when they are pronounced dead. Vtac and vfib are potential reversibly life threatening rhythms where the heart still has activity but it is not synchronized to provide forward blood flow. When recognized immediately there are interventions to reverse these two rhythm.

Question 4

what causes a person to have ventricular fibrillation vfib?

Accepted Answer

Low oxygen...: Anything that results in low oxygen to the heart muscle can result in ventricular fibrillation including a myocardial infarct, or mi.

Question 5

in hosp. after a vfib, the cardio doc said he hadn't seen anything like it before and was sending it around the country, where would he send or post ?

Accepted Answer

Docs referral source: Most likely he would discuss with professional colleagues or in hosptial committee or academic grand rounds.

Question 6

can sudden cardiac death from something like vfib happen to a healthy person and if so why?  anyway to prevent or detect it ahead if time?

Accepted Answer

Yes: Yes, sudden cardiac death can happen among healthy, active people. 
Certain conditions may cause it like anomaly in coronary artery or other genetic abnormality, or cardiomyopathy. Some conditions maybe suspected by a physician based on history, exam, EKG and echo of a patient. If a patient is identified to be at risk of sudden death an implantable defibrillator could save a life.

Question 7

history of pvcs and tachycardia. good cardiac work up, benign. sometimes i get a few skipped beats in a row. cant tell if theres a normal beat in between. urges me to cough, makes me feel horrible. worry about vfib and vtach. how can i cope/adjust?

Accepted Answer

Cfollowup: certainly, notify your cardiologist; however,it seems that you are more concerned with even having pvcs and/or apcs and it is casusing anxiety. I suggest exercise, meditation, read The Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson, M.D. I also suggest 1-2 sessions with a clinical psychologist. Good news about your workup.

Question 8

in the 24hrs before a heart catheter i was given 7catapress, 2lopressor, lisinoprill, lasix, (furosemide) potassium, could this induce vfib?

Accepted Answer

Myocardial ischemia: Ventricular fibrillation is a heart rhythm problem that occurs when the heart beats with rapid, erratic electrical impulses, making it is unable to pump efficiently. It is usually associated with myocardial ischemia ( heart attack).

Question 9

how long does ventricular fibrillation last?

Accepted Answer

Ventricular or Atria: Fibrillation is a random chaiotic electrical pattern.  Atrial fibrillation is common an some older adults live in continuous a-fib and feel ok while on medications that slow the ventricular response to the atrial rate.
Ventricular fibrillation is not tolerated, meaning someone having true ventricular fibrillation will loose consciousness in seconds.  True vf is life threatening in seconds.

Question 10

what are the tests for ventricular fibrillation?

Accepted Answer

Immediate ECG: Ventricular fibrillation is a potentially fatal heart arrhythmia which if not reversed back to a normal rhythm, can cause permanent stoppage of the heart. It always causes patients to lose conciousness and cause cardiovascular collapse. These patients need to have immediate confirmation of their rhythm disturbance and be defibrillated immediately to prevent death.

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Doctor answers about:

What vfib

A member asked:

What's the difference between vfib and afib?

A member asked:

Read about idiopathic vfib which terrifies me, im so worried about it since its common and a common cause of sudden death in young adults. what are the statistics on this? im so scared of this?

A member asked:

Vtac/vfib vs asystole?

A member asked:

What causes a person to have ventricular fibrillation vfib?

A member asked:

In hosp. after a vfib, the cardio doc said he hadn't seen anything like it before and was sending it around the country, where would he send or post ?

A member asked:

Can sudden cardiac death from something like vfib happen to a healthy person and if so why? anyway to prevent or detect it ahead if time?

A member asked:

History of pvcs and tachycardia. good cardiac work up, benign. sometimes i get a few skipped beats in a row. cant tell if theres a normal beat in between. urges me to cough, makes me feel horrible. worry about vfib and vtach. how can i cope/adjust?

A member asked:

In the 24hrs before a heart catheter i was given 7catapress, 2lopressor, lisinoprill, lasix, (furosemide) potassium, could this induce vfib?

A member asked:

How long does ventricular fibrillation last?

A member asked:

What are the tests for ventricular fibrillation?

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