Ventricular Fibrillation

Abstract

In 1940, Wiggers [146W] summarized his observations and speculations regarding the mechanism and nature of ventricular fibrillation. He stated that the initial purpose for these experiments was to prolong the survival of his animals in order to lessen the cost of achieving other research goals, a motive no less compelling now than in 1940. He described four stages in the development of ventricular fibrillation. The first, or undulatory, stage lasted only a second or two and followed a premature beat induced during late systole, i.e., during the vulnerable period, at which time some, but not all, cells had recovered their excitability. He showed by careful analysis of motion pictures that this beat excited a number of cells, creating wave fronts which “…weave their way slowly through local, nonrefractory tissue to form a small wave front, from which a massive excitation wave sweeps over comparatively large portions of the myocardium in sequential order.”