Using Nanosecond Shocks for Cardiac Defibrillation

Johanna U. Neuber, Frency Varghese, Andrei G. Pakhomov, Christian W. Zemlin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

The purpose of this review article is to summarize our current understanding of the efficacy and safety of cardiac defibrillation with nanosecond shocks. Experiments in isolated hearts, using optical mapping of the electrical activity, have demonstrated that nanosecond shocks can defibrillate with lower energies than conventional millisecond shocks. Single defibrillation strength nanosecond shocks do not cause obvious damage, but repeated stimulation leads to deterioration of the hearts. In isolated myocytes, nanosecond pulses can also stimulate at lower energies than at longer pulses and cause less electroporation (propidium uptake). The mechanism is likely electroporation of the plasma membrane. Repeated stimulation leads to distorted calcium gradients.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)240-246
Number of pages7
JournalBioelectricity
Volume1
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2019

Keywords

  • arrhythmia
  • cardiac
  • defibrillation
  • nanosecond

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