defibrillation

British  

/ -fɪb-, dɪˌfaɪbrɪˈleɪʃən /

noun

1. med the application of an electric current to the heart to restore normal rhythmic contractions after the onset of atrial or ventricular fibrillation

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defibrillation Scientific  

/ dē-fĭb′rə-lā′shən /

1. Termination of fibrillation of the heart muscle and restoration of normal heart rhythm, especially by one or more electric shocks administered by paddles applied to the chest.

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Explanation

When someone is having an irregular heartbeat, doctors will sometimes use a procedure called defibrillation to shock the patient's heart back into a normal rhythm. You've probably seen defibrillation in TV shows and movies. Defibrillation was invented in the 1890s by Swiss scientists, but it wasn't used on human patients until the 1930s. The word means "stopping of fibrillation," which is the medical term for when a part of the body twitches and quivers irregularly. When the heart does this, it's called ventricular fibrillation. External defibrillation — involving the paddles that EMTs and ER doctors use today — was developed in the last half of the 20th century.

Example Sentences

If a patient went into cardiac arrest or stopped breathing, it would mean they should not be given chest compressions or defibrillation to try to save their life.

From BBC • Oct. 27, 2024

Such innovation in painless defibrillation and preventing arrhythmia could revolutionize cardiac rhythm management.

From Science Daily • Jan. 9, 2024

After the visitors called 911 at 3:40 p.m., park rangers arrived and tried to revive the man with CPR and external defibrillation, but they were unsuccessful.

From Washington Times • Jul. 20, 2023

For the few like Mr. Hamlin who receive immediate defibrillation, survival rises to 41 percent.

From New York Times • Jan. 22, 2023

Hamlin was resuscitated on the field by medical personnel, utilizing CPR and defibrillation, after his collapse.

From Washington Post • Jan. 11, 2023