On average, two to five people die every hour from cardiac arrhythmia and people should seek medical attention as soon as possible if they have fainted or experienced heart palpitations, doctors said, citing statistics from the Taiwan Heart Rhythm Society.
Ventricular fibrillation is one of the most severe kinds of dysrhythmia and can cause sudden cardiac arrest, Taipei Veterans General Hospital cardiologist Chung Fa-po (鐘法博) said last week.
The heart quivers due to electrical activity in the ventricles and the flow of blood to the body stops temporarily, he said.
When detected in people aged 35 or older, ventricular fibrillation is mostly caused by cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary artery disease, Chung said, adding that in people younger than 35, it is mostly a hereditary condition.
People usually do not exhibit any special symptoms prior to their first ventricular fibrillation incident, while others have fainted or experience palpitations, Chung said, adding that people should not ignore dysrhythmia symptoms and should visit a cardiologist if they have an abnormal heart rate.
Performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and using a defibrillator can resuscitate someone in cardiac arrest, society secretary-general Yeh Yung-hsin (葉勇信) said.
Using a defibrillator or performing CPR within a minute of an attack helps to stop the dysrhythmia about 90 percent of the time, Yeh said, adding that every minute after that a person’s chances of survival drops by 7 to 10 percent.
An automated external defibrillator is a simple-to-use device and users should follow the instructions shown on the box, Yeh said, adding that proper use of the device could help save a life.
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