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A member asked:
Why do paramedics use defibrillators with a heart attack patient?
6 doctors weighed in across 2 answers
Restore heart rhythm: During a heart attack the heart tissues are starved for oxygen. When this happens the heart rhythm deteriorates and instead of beating the heart muscle fibrillates- sort of wiggles- instead of contracting as a unit. This is called ventricular fibrillation. Delivering a jolt of electricity to the heart interrupts the wiggles and allows the heart muscle to resume normal contractions.
Answered 12/23/2014
6.3k views
Fibrillation : Some patients who suffer a heart attack develop deadly heart rhythms called ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation. The heart does not contract properly under these conditions and without external defibrillation to shock the heart back into normal the patient would die.
Answered 2/15/2013
5.3k views
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