<unk>  <unk>  or<unk>  is a condition in which there is uncoordinated contraction of the cardiac muscle of the ventricles in the heart, making them quiver rather than contract properly. As a result, the heart fails to adequately pump blood and hypoxia will occur followed by unconsciousness within 20 - 30 seconds.<unk>  is the most commonly identified arrythmia in cardiac arrest patients. While there is some activity, the layperson is usually unable to detect it by palpating (feeling) the major pulse points of the carotid and femoral arteries. Such an arrhythmia is only confirmed by electrocardiography.<unk>  is a medical emergency that requires prompt Basic Life Support interventions. If this arrhythmia continues for more than a few seconds, it will likely degenerate further into asystole ("flatline"). This condition results in cardiogenic shock and cessation of effective blood circulation. As a consequence, sudden cardiac death (SCD) will result in a matter of minutes. If the patient is not revived after a sufficient period (within roughly 5 minutes at room temperature), the patient could sustain irreversible brain damage and possibly become brain dead due to the effects of cerebral hypoxia. On the other hand, death often occurs if normal sinus rhythm is not restored within 90 seconds of the onset of<unk> , especially if it has degenerated further into asystole.
Ventricular fibrillation
Torsades de pointes
Ventricular flutter
Atrioventricular dissociation
Sinus arrhythmia
Sinoatrial arrest
Ventricular tachycardia
Pre-excitation syndrome