I guess I’m talking about defibrillation. Is it just the movies, or is it how defibrillation actually works in real life ?
I mean, you are trying to revive someone, trying to bring them back to life. What’s the worse thing that can happen ? Why do they start from low voltages and increase it slowly, and get more and more anxious and dramatic every time they say “Go up to 350” or whatever.
I mean, the person is already dead. What’s the risk ? Why do they act so hesitant ? What’s there to lose ?
In: Biology
Heat and voltage go hand in hand. Applying a shock is destroying the heart.
The point of shocking is to STOP the heart. You know how people jolt up when they’re shocked in movies? That’s REAL. Your normal heart doesn’t do that.
Shocking the heart is just naturally violent. Less than 10% of people who are in cardiac arrest with a the shockable rhythm of ventricular fibrillation survive. Less and 2% with all the non shockable rhythms.
I’ve done CPR maybe 30 times, and personally shocked maybe 4 people. None have survived out of hospital. The way we treat cardiac arrest is very brutal and it’s the best we can do right now. Having the lowest voltage necessary to stop the heart will cause the least amount of damage. In theory.
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