When a heart is in VF, it is still receiving nerve impulses from the brain. These impulses are simply firing so chaotically that the heart cannot produce a beat that’s strong enough to pump enough blood to keep the circulatory system flowing through the body.

The heart will continue its uncoordinated twitching or fluttering until it is no longer receiving electrical impulses from the brain and stops altogether. An AED stops the heart from its spasm by shocking it. This allows the nerve impulses a chance to resume their normal pattern, which, in turn, allows the heart to resume beating at its normal pace.

WHAT CAUSES VENTRICULAR FIBRILLATION AND VENTRICULAR TACHYCARDIA?

V-fib can have several root causes, including:

• Insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle
• Damage to the heart muscle (a heart attack)
• Problems with the aorta
• Drug toxicity
• Electrolyte imbalance
• Sepsis (severe body infection)
• Cardiomyopathy