Overview Of Cardioversion

This medical procedure is a common arrhythmia treatment. It is most commonly used as a treatment for fibrillation! However, it is also an effective treatment for tachycardia. Patients need intravenous medication for cardioversion. In addition, individuals require treatment for blood clots before this procedure if they have any. In most cases, they must take anticoagulants for blood clots!

Chemical Versus Electrical Cardioversion

There are two types of cardioversion: chemical and electrical! Both procedures share the same goal. They seek to restore a patient's heart rhythm to normal! Chemical cardioversion uses specific medication to achieve this goal. This form of the procedure treats several arrhythmias. The most common type is atrial fibrillation, which happens when an individual's atria quiver rather than beat. The result is an increased risk of stroke!

Patients do not need to be sedated for chemical cardioversion. It is also less traumatic than the electrical type! Thus, doctors often try chemical cardioversion first. The risks of this procedure are lower, though the results take longer! It is not as effective as electrical cardioversion, either. However, undergoing the chemical procedure first increases the success rate of the electrical shock! As expected, electrical cardioversion uses electrical shocks to restore a patient's heart rhythm.

Uncover the reasons that this procedure is performed now.

Reasons For The Procedure

As mentioned, cardioversion treats many heart rhythm issues! Examples are heartbeats that are too fast or are irregular. This procedure is particularly common when patients have a problem with their heart that increases their stroke risk! Patients whose symptoms are mild and do not cause interference with their regular activities do not undergo cardioversion. The risks do not outweigh the benefits!

Most patients schedule their procedure! However, doctors perform it in medical emergencies as well. As mentioned, there is both electrical and chemical cardioversion. The majority of individuals are aware of the electrical form. This procedure provides immediate results. Once again, patients receive electric shocks to their heart in this procedure. However, when their heart has stopped beating, they do not undergo cardioversion. Doctors use defibrillation instead!

Discover details on the preparation for this medical treatment next.

Preparing For The Procedure

Once again, most patients have a scheduled procedure. They will arrive at the hospital on the appointed day and time! Similar to many other procedures, cardioversion requires some preparation on the patient's part. They must not eat or drink anything in the eight hours before this procedure! Patients who take medications have to discuss them with their doctor. Certain ones interact with the procedure! Patients who need to take their medication must do so with only enough water to swallow their pills. Remember, they cannot drink liquids before their procedure!

Doctors also help their patients prepare for the procedure. Specifically, they check for blood clots in their heart! Patients who have blood clots need medication to get rid of them. Thus, the treatment will be delayed until this happens! Undergoing the procedure without getting rid of blood clots causes them to break free. The results of this are strokes or heart attacks!

Uncover information on how the procedure works next.

How It Works

Patients undergoing electrical cardioversion will receive medication first. This is a sedative to keep them asleep during the procedure! It also prevents pain from the shocks. Patients receive this medication through an intravenous line. A nurse will place electrodes on the patient's chest as well. They connect these to a defibrillator! This machine delivers the appropriate electrical shocks. However, it first records the patient's heart rhythm. This is vital since the recording allows the doctor and the machine to calibrate the correct electrical shocks! This procedure takes only a few minutes. Patients leave the same day as the procedure once the sedative wears off!

As mentioned, the chemical form uses medication to achieve the same effect. This medication is also administered through an intravenous line. The reason for this is that it increases the success of the procedure!

Keep reading to discover the risks associated with cardioversion next.

Associated Risks

Cardioversion is a low-risk procedure when it is performed with care in a hospital. However, it still has some risks associated with it! One of these risks is allowing blood clots in the heart to break free. Some individuals with heart rhythm problems also develop blood clots. Allowing these clots to break free is dangerous! A dislodged clot circulates through the body. Complications of this include stroke and a clot in the lungs! However, this risk is easily lowered. Doctors screen patients for blood clots before this procedure. Patients who have clots are asked to take medication to treat the clots. This takes several weeks!

Some patients develop new heart rhythm issues after this procedure. This risk, however, is extremely low! Besides, doctors know within minutes if this is the case. Thus, they will correct it! In fact, this procedure's electrical form will reveal new rhythm issues before the patient is out of their sedation. Thus, doctors correct it before they wake up! Electrodes also carry the risk of mild skin burns. However, this is easily treatable as well!