Ventricular fibrillation

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Heart, front view

Heart, section through the middle

VF; Fibrillation - ventricular

Ventricular fibrillation (VF) is a severely abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) that causes death unless immediately treated. VF is responsible for 75 - 85% of sudden deaths in persons with heart problems.

To pump blood out to the body, all areas of the heart normally squeeze (contract) at the same time. The heart’s upper chambers (the atria) contract before the heart’s bottom two chambers (ventricles). During VF, however, the contractions become disorganized.

The most common cause of VF is a heart attack, but VF can occur whenever the heart does not get enough oxygen or if a person has other heart disorders.

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Conditions that can lead to VF include:

• Congenital heart disease
• Electrocution accidents or injury to the heart
• Heart attack
• Heart muscle disease, including cardiomyopathies
• Heart surgery
• Ischemia (lack of oxygen to the heart muscle because of narrowed coronary arteries or shock)

While most people suffering from VF have no previous history of heart disease, many have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as smoking, hypertension, and diabetes.

Review Date: 02/07/2007
Reviewed By: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.