Prognosis: Early and effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) may provide the time necessary for medical personnel to arrive with a defibrillator. Drugs are then given to help maintain the normal heart rhythm. If a defibrillator is able to promptly restore a normal rhythm, up to 25% of victims are able to leave the hospital without evidence of brain damage. If ventricular fibrillation occurs in the hospital in conjunction with a heart attack, defibrillation has a 95% success rate.
Prevention: Ventricular fibrillation is treated the same way as ventricular tachycardia. A complete electrophysiologic evaluation is necessary, along with testing for coronary insufficiency. If ventricular fibrillation is caused by blockages in the coronary arteries, fixing those blockages with bypass surgery or with balloon angioplasty can decrease the risk of recurrence. An implantable cardioverter-defribrillator or ICD can rescue a patient from recurrent ventricular fibrillation and thus save his or her life.
