Abnormal Heart Rhythm

Ventricular Fibrillation

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Signs and Symptoms

Ventricular fibrillation (VF) is a condition in which the heart's electrical activity becomes disordered. When this happens, the heart's ventricles -- the lower chambers that pump blood -- contract in a rapid, unsynchronized way. The ventricles "quiver" rather than beat, causing the heart to pump little or no blood.

VF is life threatening and requires prompt treatment. Without medical treatment, collapse and sudden cardiac death will occur. However, VF can be treated with a medical device called an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), which brings the heartbeat back to a regular rhythm.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Children's Hospital.
Last updated May 8, 2007