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A member asked:
Can a defibrillator restart a heart that stopped?
12 doctors weighed in across 3 answers
No: By "stopped" it is implied a complete absence of any rhythm or electrical activity, other wise known as, asystole. Defibrillation is the application of electricity to the heart to treat chaotic electrical transmission through the heart. This is seen in several rhythms atrial fibrillation/ flutter, ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia. Defibrillation does not treat asystole.
Answered 8/25/2020
6.3k views
Yes: Defibrillators are effective when the heart stops due to life threatening heart rhythms.
Answered 1/10/2020
6.1k views
Yes: Depending on why the heart stopped, debrillators can definitely restart a heart that has stopped. It is always worth a try.
Answered 7/15/2017
5.9k views
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