Type of Surgery
Information
Last updated: 02/17/2009
BOOKS
Giuliani, E. R., et al., eds. "Arrhythmias." In Mayo Clinic Practice of Cardiology. 3rd ed. St. Louis: Mosby, 1996.
PERIODICALS
Bur, Andreas, et al. "Effects...
of Bystander First Aid, Defibrillation and Advanced Life Support on Neurological Outcome and Hospital Costs in Patients after Ventricular Fibrillation Cardiac Arrest."Intensive Care Medicine 27 (2001): 1474–1480.
Herlitz, J., et al. "Characteristics and Outcome Among PatientsSuffering In-hospital Cardiac Arrest in Monitored and Non-monitored Areas."Resuscitation 48 (2001): 125–135.
Matarese, Leonard. "Police and AEDS: A Chance to SaveThousands of Lives Each Year."Public Management 79 (June 1997): 4.
"Medical Breakthroughs That Could Save Your Life."BodyBulletin (February 1998): 1.
"Upping the Odds of Survival."Hospitals and Health Networks71 (June 5, 1997): 13.
ORGANIZATIONS
American Heart Association. 7320 Greenville Ave. Dallas, TX75231. (214) 373-6300.
OTHER
"AARC Clinical Practice Guideline: Defibrillation During Resuscitation."Respiratory Care 40 (1995): 744–748. [cited May 2003].
"Defibrillation."American Heart Association. [cited May2003].
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Other Information
Defibrillation is the definitive treatment for the life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. Defibrillation consists of delivering a therapeutic dose of electrical energy to the affected heart with a device called a defibrillator. This depolarizes a critical mass of the heart muscle, terminates the arrhythmia, and allows normal sinus rhythm to be reestablished by the body's natural pacemaker, in the sinoatrial node of the heart.
Defibrillators can be external, transvenous, or implanted, depending on the type of device used. Some external units, known as automated external defibrillators (AEDs), automate the diagnosis of treatable rhythms, meaning that lay responders or bystanders are able to use them successfully with little, or in some cases no, training.
Other Information
Traditional Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) surgery has undesirable side effects that range from cognitive loss to increased hospital stays that are believed to be related to artificial heart pumps. In this project, we believe that if the heart were able to beat freely during surgery, these pumps would not be needed and it is possible that these side effects might be lessened.
-M. Cenk Cavusoglu
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