Recurrence of ventricular fibrillation in out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest: Clinical evidence and underlying ionic mechanisms

Abstract

Defibrillation remains the optimal therapy for terminating ventricular fibrillation (VF) in out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients, with reported shock success rates of ∼90%. A key persistent challenge, however, is the high rate of VF recurrence (∼50–80%) seen during post‐shock cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Studies have shown that the incidence and time spent in recurrent VF are negatively associated with neurologically‐intact survival. Recurrent VF also results in the administration of extra shocks at escalating energy levels, which can cause cardiac dysfunction. Unfortunately, the mechanisms underlying recurrent VF remain poorly understood. In particular, the role of chest‐compressions (CC) administered during CPR in mediating recurrent VF remains controversial. In this review, we first summarize the available clinical evidence for refibrillation occurring during CPR in OHCA patients, including the postulated contribution of CC and non‐CC related pathways. Next, we examine experimental studies highlighting how CC can re‐induce VF via direct mechano‐electric feedback. We postulate the ionic mechanisms involved by comparison with similar phenomena seen in commotio cordis. Subsequently, the hypothesized contribution of partial cardiac reperfusion (either as a result of CC or CC independent organized rhythm) in re‐initiating VF in a globally ischaemic heart is examined. An overview of the proposed ionic mechanisms contributing to VF recurrence in OHCA during CPR from a cellular level to the whole heart is outlined. Possible therapeutic implications of the proposed mechanistic theories for VF recurrence in OHCA are briefly discussed. image