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The Curious Bag
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Defibrillators are medical devices that are employed to regulate life-threatening, abnormal heart rhythms such as ventricular fibrillation. Defibrillators work by delivering an electrical shock to the heart muscle.
Biphasic defibrillators
Biphasic defibrillators essentially deliver two shocks. The first shock travels in one direction from paddle to paddle. The shock then passes back in the other direction.
Energy
Biphasic defibrillators deliver a lower total amount of energy than monophasic defibrillators. Publicsafety.com reports that, on average, biphasic defibrillators deliver between 100 and 200 joules of energy to the heart muscle.
Benefits
Biphasic defibrillators are thought to pose less risk of damaging the heart muscle, according to modernmedicine.com. Reducing cardiac damage reduces the risk of post-resuscitation myocardial dysfunction, which proves fatal in up to 70% of cases.
History
Between the 1960s and the early 1990s, monophasic defibrillators were the only type available. External biphasic defibrillators did not become commercially available until 1996, according to publicsafety.com.
Use
Biphasic defibrillators can be found in hospitals and are placed with emergency services personnel. Whether there will be a complete conversion in the medical community from monophasic to biphasic defibrillators is yet to be determined.
Source:
Publicsafety.com: Biphasic Defibrillation
Mondernmedicine.com: Biphasic Defibrillators: Headed your way?
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