Ventricular Fibrillation ECG Interpretation


Description

  • The morphologic features are different with this dysrhythmia. No P wave and no QRS complexes. This rhythm presents with a chaotic waveform which reflects the electrical chaos occurring within the heart.
  • The heart is not actually beating as we know it. The chaos occurs as a result of small regions of tissue which are independently depolarizing.
  • This rapid disorganized electrical activity actually makes the heart appear to quiver in response to this activity. Some have described it as shaking like Jello.
  • Fibrillatory waves may be coarse or very fine. This is based upon their size. The longer V Fib occurs, the smaller the waveforms are likely to be.
  • (Description continues on next slide)
ventricular fibrillation tracing part 1

Description (continued)

  • Coarse Ventricular Fibrillation (coarse V Fib) is when a majority of the waveforms measure 3 mm or greater
  • Fine V Fib (fine vfib) is when a majority of the waveforms measure less than 3 mm
  • This is absolutely a life-threatening dysrhythmia which requires, immediate, effective, and aggressive care.
  • (Follow your local reporting and treatment protocols)
  • If your patient is talking to you when you see this on the monitor, then your patient is not in V Fib. Always, check your patient first, but there will likely be a loose or disconnected lead wire or electrode.
ventricular fibrillation tracing part 2

VFib Practice Strip

ventricular ecg image 120

Analyze this vfib rhythm strip using the five steps of rhythm analysis.

Show Answer
  • Rhythm: Irregular
  • Rate: Unable to determine
  • P Wave: absent
  • PR interval: absent
  • QRS: absent
  • Interpretation: Ventricular Fibrillation (Fine)





Authors and Sources

Authors and Reviewers


Sources

  • Electrocardiography for Healthcare Professionals, 6th Edition Kathryn Booth and Thomas O'Brien
    ISBN10: 1265013470, ISBN13: 9781265013479
    McGraw Hill, 2023
  • Rapid Interpretation of EKG's, Sixth Edition
    Dale Dublin
    Cover Publishing Company
  • EKG Reference Guide
    EKG.Academy
  • 12 Lead EKG for Nurses: Simple Steps to Interpret Rhythms, Arrhythmias, Blocks, Hypertrophy, Infarcts, & Cardiac Drugs
    Aaron Reed
    Create Space Independent Publishing
  • Heart Sounds and Murmurs: A Practical Guide with Audio CD-ROM 3rd Edition
    Elsevier-Health Sciences Division
    Barbara A. Erickson, PhD, RN, CCRN
  • The Virtual Cardiac Patient: A Multimedia Guide to Heart Sounds, Murmurs, EKG Jonathan Keroes, David Lieberman
    Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkin)
    ISBN-10: 0781784425; ISBN-13: 978-0781784429
  • Project Semilla, UCLA Emergency Medicine, EKG Training Breena R. Taira, MD, MPH
  • ECG Reference Guide
    PracticalClinicalSkills.com






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