ventricular fibrillation

[ ven-trik-yuh-ler fib-ruh-ley-shuhn ]

noun

, Pathology.

1. a cardiac arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, caused by rapid, chaotic electrical impulses to the ventricles: prevents the heart from pumping blood normally, which leads to a complete loss of blood pressure and pulse, followed rapidly by death if not treated. : VF, VFib. Compare atrial fibrillation ( def ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of ventricular fibrillation¹

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

The rhythm on the monitor was ventricular fibrillation, random electrical oscillations.

From The Daily Beast

The patient had three convulsions and died with edema of lungs about 30 hours after the attack of ventricular fibrillation.

From Project Gutenberg

Recently G. Canby Robinson has seen and made electrocardiograms of a case of ventricular fibrillation.

From Project Gutenberg