Ventricular fibrillation occurs in the ventricles (lower chambers) of the heart; it is always a medical emergency. If left untreated, ventricular fibrillation (VF, or V-fib) can lead to death within minutes. When a heart goes into V-fib, effective pumping of the blood stops. V-fib is considered a form of cardiac arrest. An affected individual will not survive unless cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation are provided immediately.CPR can prolong the survival of the brain in the lack of a normal pulse, but defibrillation is the only intervention that can restore a healthy heart rhythm. Defibrillation is performed by applying an electric shock to the heart, which resets the cells, permitting a normal beat to re-establish itself. Triggered beats
Triggered beats occur when problems at the level of the ion channels in individual heart cells result in abnormal propagation of electrical activity and can lead to a sustained abnormal rhythm. They are relatively rare and can result from the action of anti-arrhythmic drugs, or after depolarizations. Management
The method of cardiac rhythm management depends firstly on whether the affected person is stable or unstable. Treatments may include physical maneuvers, medications, electricity conversion, or electro- or cryo-cautery.In the United States, people admitted to the hospital with cardiac arrhythmia and conduction disorders with and without complications were admitted to the intensive care unit more than half the time in 2011. Physical maneuvers
Several physical acts can increase parasympathetic nervous supply to the heart, resulting in blocking of electrical conduction through the AV node.
The European Commission formally withdrew marketing permission on 28 June 2012.On 21 June 2012, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) issued a positive first opinion on Hexaxim for use outside the EU, in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO), but later withdrew the opinion.On 17 April 2013, marketing approval in the EU was granted to Hexyon and to Hexacima.On 15 February 2016, marketing approval in the EU was granted to Vaxelis. US approval
On 21 December 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensed a hexavalent combined diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis (DTaP) adsorbed, inactivated poliovirus (IPV), Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) conjugate (meningococcal protein conjugate) and hepatitis B (HepB) (recombinant) vaccine, DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB (Vaxelis), for use as a three-dose series in infants at ages two, four, and six months. On 26 June 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to include DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB in the federal Vaccines for Children Program (VFC). == References ==