What is an immediate treatment for a patient experiencing ventricular fibrillation?

Ventricular fibrillation (VF) is a life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia characterized by disorganized electrical activity in the heart, leading to ineffective pumping and the absence of pulse. The immediate treatment for VF requires restoring a normal rhythm to evoke effective cardiac output.

Defibrillation is the correct response because it involves delivering a controlled electrical shock to the heart to revert to a normal rhythm. This intervention is time-sensitive and should be performed as soon as possible after VF is identified. The electrical shock interrupts the chaotic electrical activity, potentially allowing the heart’s natural pacemakers to regain control and restore a coordinated heartbeat.

Cardioversion, while similar, is used for other arrhythmias (like atrial fibrillation), which can be more stable and not a direct emergency response like VF. Intravenous medications may be utilized subsequently to maintain rhythm and hemodynamic stability but will not address the immediate need. CPR is critical in the absence of a pulse and until defibrillation can occur but it does not correct the underlying issue of VF itself. Thus, the most immediate and critical intervention in the face of ventricular fibrillation is defibrillation.