Electrical Cardioversion (Defibrillation) for a Fast Heart Rate
Electrical Cardioversion (Defibrillation) for a Fast Heart RateSkip to the navigationTreatment OverviewElectrical
cardioversion is a procedure in which a brief electric shock is given to the
heart to reset the heart rhythm back to its normal, regular pattern (normal sinus rhythm). The shock is given through patches
applied to the outside of the chest wall. In some situations an external defibrillator, which has paddles, might be used. Usually, the person is sedated. If
the person is conscious, medicine is given to control pain and to cause the
person to relax to the point of being nearly unconscious during the
procedure. What To Expect After TreatmentAfter cardioversion, the person's heart
rate and blood pressure are monitored. Additional drugs to help
prevent heart rhythm problems from recurring (antiarrhythmic drugs) may also be
given before and after the procedure. If antiarrhythmic drugs are not used
after cardioversion, the heart may be at greater risk of going back into a fast
heart rate. After cardioversion, you may take a blood-thinning medicine for a few weeks to prevent dangerous blood clots. How Well It WorksElectrical cardioversion of the heart
is very effective. Most people who receive cardioversion return to normal sinus
rhythm immediately after the procedure.footnote 1 Risks Risks of the procedure include the
following: - A blood clot may become dislodged from the
heart and cause a stroke. Your doctor will try to decrease this risk by using
anticoagulants or other measures.
- The procedure may not work.
Additional cardioversion or other treatment may be
needed.
- Antiarrhythmic medicines used before and after
cardioversion or even the cardioversion itself may cause a life-threatening
irregular heartbeat.
- You can have a reaction to the sedative given before the
procedure. Harmful reactions are rare.
- You can get a small area of
burn on your skin where the paddles or patches are placed.
What To Think AboutCardioversion is only a temporary
fix for a fast heart rate. Medicines (such as beta-blockers and calcium channel
blockers or other antiarrhythmic medicines) may be used to keep the heart rate
slow when a person has an episode of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). For
long-term treatment and to reduce the chance of having another episode of
either SVT or ventricular tachycardia (VT), catheter ablation or medicine can
be used. Complete the special treatment information form (PDF)(What is a PDF document?) to help you understand this treatment. ReferencesCitations- Page RL, et al. (2015). 2015 ACC/AHA/HRS guideline for the management of adult patients with supraventricular tachycardia: A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines and the Heart Rhythm Society. Circulation. DOI: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000311. Accessed September 23, 2015.
CreditsByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical ReviewerRakesh K. Pai, MD, FACC - Cardiology, Electrophysiology
E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Martin J. Gabica, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical ReviewerJohn M. Miller, MD, FACC - Cardiology, Electrophysiology Current as ofSeptember 21, 2016 Current as of:
September 21, 2016 Page RL, et al. (2015). 2015 ACC/AHA/HRS guideline for the management of adult patients with supraventricular tachycardia: A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines and the Heart Rhythm Society. Circulation. DOI: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000311. Accessed September 23, 2015. Last modified on: 8 September 2017
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