Dual defibrillation in patients with refractory ventricular fibrillation

Abstract

In the setting of cardiac arrest, refractory ventricular fibrillation (VF) is difficult to manage, and mortality rates are high. Double sequential defibrillation (DSD) has been described in the literature as a successful means to terminate this malignant rhythm, after failure of traditional Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) measures. The authors herein present a case of refractory VF in a patient with cardiac arrest, on whom DSD was successful in reversion to sinus rhythm, and provide a thorough review of similar cases in the literature.