I know defibrillators are used to help people experiencing cardiac arrest. But how exactly do electric shocks restore the normal rhythm? All bodily functions are depended on this one organ, so when this one little organ fails, what responds to the shocks to help bring the body back to life?
It’s astounding that this even happens at all in some cases.
In: Biology
There are many causes that not only cause the heart to stop beating, but also cause it to contract in a completely disordered way.
If the heart stops beating, the defibrillation shock will not return the heart’s activity, therefore cardiac massage is the best option to force the heart to beat and deliver nutrients to essential organs, returning their functions (this includes the heart).
If the heart has completely disordered electrical activity that does not beat effectively, the shock will restart the electrical network, returning normal contraction.
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