1
|
Szabó Z, Ujvárosy D, Ötvös T, Sebestyén V, Nánási PP. Handling of Ventricular Fibrillation in the Emergency Setting. Front Pharmacol 2020; 10:1640. [PMID: 32140103 PMCID: PMC7043313 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Ventricular fibrillation (VF) and sudden cardiac death (SCD) are predominantly caused by channelopathies and cardiomyopathies in youngsters and coronary heart disease in the elderly. Temporary factors, e.g., electrolyte imbalance, drug interactions, and substance abuses may play an additive role in arrhythmogenesis. Ectopic automaticity, triggered activity, and reentry mechanisms are known as important electrophysiological substrates for VF determining the antiarrhythmic therapies at the same time. Emergency need for electrical cardioversion is supported by the fact that every minute without defibrillation decreases survival rates by approximately 7%–10%. Thus, early defibrillation is an essential part of antiarrhythmic emergency management. Drug therapy has its relevance rather in the prevention of sudden cardiac death, where early recognition and treatment of the underlying disease has significant importance. Cardioprotective and antiarrhythmic effects of beta blockers in patients predisposed to sudden cardiac death were highlighted in numerous studies, hence nowadays these drugs are considered to be the cornerstones of the prevention and treatment of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. Nevertheless, other medical therapies have not been proven to be useful in the prevention of VF. Although amiodarone has shown positive results occasionally, this was not demonstrated to be consistent. Furthermore, the potential proarrhythmic effects of drugs may also limit their applicability. Based on these unfavorable observations we highlight the importance of arrhythmia prevention, where echocardiography, electrocardiography and laboratory testing play a significant role even in the emergency setting. In the following we provide a summary on the latest developments on cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the evaluation and preventive treatment possibilities of patients with increased susceptibility to VF and SCD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zoltán Szabó
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Dóra Ujvárosy
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.,Doctoral School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Tamás Ötvös
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.,Doctoral School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Veronika Sebestyén
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.,Doctoral School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Péter P Nánási
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.,Department of Dental Physiology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|