Medical expert of the article
New publications
Ventricular fibrillation: causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Ventricular fibrillation is uncoordinated excitation of the ventricles that does not result in useful contraction. Ventricular fibrillation results in immediate loss of consciousness and death within minutes. Treatment is with cardiopulmonary support, including immediate defibrillation.
Causes of ventricular fibrillation
Ventricular fibrillation occurs as a result of the appearance of multiple foci of electrical activity with the formation of re-entry and is manifested on the electrocardiogram by very frequent undulating waves on the isoline, which are irregular in time and shape.
[ 1 ], [ 2 ], [ 3 ], [ 4 ], [ 5 ], [ 6 ], [ 7 ], [ 8 ], [ 9 ], [ 10 ]
Symptoms of ventricular fibrillation
Ventricular fibrillation is the rhythm preceding cardiac arrest in approximately 70% of patients, making ventricular fibrillation the terminal event in many diseases. Moreover, most patients with ventricular fibrillation have underlying cardiac disease (usually ischemic heart disease, but also hypertrophic or dilated cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, or Brugada syndrome). In any pathology, the risk of ventricular fibrillation is increased by electrolyte imbalance, acidosis, hypoxemia, or ischemia.
Ventricular fibrillation occurs much less frequently in children and adolescents, in whom asystole is a more common manifestation of cardiac arrest.
Where does it hurt?
What's bothering you?
What do need to examine?
How to examine?
Treatment of ventricular fibrillation
Treatment involves cardiopulmonary support, including defibrillation. The success rate with immediate defibrillation (within 3 minutes) is 95%, demonstrating that there is no loss of cardiac pumping function before ventricular fibrillation develops. If pumping function is impaired, immediate defibrillation is effective in only 30% of cases, and most patients die from lack of cardiac output before reaching the hospital.
Patients who have had ventricular fibrillation that is not due to reversible or transient causes are at high risk of future episodes of ventricular fibrillation and, consequently, sudden death. Most of these patients require ICD. Many require antiarrhythmic drugs to reduce the incidence of expected episodes of ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation.