Idiopathic ventricular fibrillation is a rare heart rhythm disorder characterized by the chaotic activity of the heart ventricles. It prevents effective cardiac contraction, causes loss of consciousness in just minutes and, in certain cases, is fatal.
Ventricular fibrillation is called “idiopathic” when it occurs in a healthy heart without any identifiable cause to prevent it. Patients with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation do not have any structural or functional heart disease and have no early symptoms that could give advance warning of the disease.
Consequences
Idiopathic ventricular fibrillation is characterized by a chaotic heart rhythm that causes the heart to contract ineffectively or not at all, which impairs its ability to pump blood. As a result, the blood is no longer distributed to the rest of the body’s organs.
Idiopathic ventricular fibrillation is a form of sudden cardiac arrest that causes a rapid loss of consciousness and can be fatal without immediate medical intervention.
Causes
Idiopathic ventricular fibrillation occurs without any underlying cause being identified. Patients do not have any known structural or functional heart disease or abnormalities that could serve as warning signs.
Individuals with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation are thought to have a genetic disorder that has not yet been determined. As a result, and given that it is likely an inherited disorder, the patient’s family members are encouraged to undergo medical tests.
Symptoms
Symptoms of ventricular fibrillation are characterized by rapid and chaotic heart rhythms. They can include the following:
- heart palpitations: a sensation of rapid, irregular or “fluttering” heartbeats
- dizziness
- loss of consciousness
Diagnostic
Idiopathic ventricular fibrillation refers to cases of ventricular fibrillation that lack any identifiable underlying heart disease. This means that the diagnosis of this heart rhythm disorder is never preventive.
Tests may be performed to establish the origin of ventricular fibrillation, such as myocardial infarction, heart failure, presence of scarring in the cardiac muscle, cardiomyopathy and congenital heart disease.
It these tests do no identify an obvious cause, then the ventricular fibrillation is called idiopathic.
Treatment
Ventricular fibrillation is the most severe form of cardiac arrhythmia and leads to cardiopulmonary arrest that can result in sudden cardiac death.
In the event of cardiopulmonary arrest, the first treatment is to take life-saving emergency measures to ensure that oxygen-rich blood reaches the vital organs, especially the brain, to prevent the risk of brain death.
While waiting for emergency services to arrive:
1. Get help
2. Massage
3. Defibrillate
For every minute that passes without CPR, a person in cardiac arrest loses 10% of their chance of survival!
After their heart rhythm is restored, the patient receives treatment to control ventricular fibrillation.
This may include:
– implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator: implantable cardioverter-defibrillators continuously monitor heart rhythm and automatically deliver an electric shock if an abnormal rhythm is detected. The shock helps resynchronize the heartbeat, allowing for effective heart contractions and restoring a regular rhythm.
– anti-arrhythmic medication is sometimes prescribed. This type of medication is designed to stabilize the heart rhythm and prevent episodes of ventricular fibrillation.
Reviewed and approved by Frédéric Sacher, Professor, MD, PhD, Cardiologist at Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU)
