Increasing fibrillation duration enhances relative asymmetrical biphasic versus monophasic defibrillator waveform efficacy

J L Jones, J F Swartz, R E Jones, R Fletcher
1990 Circulation Research  
Biphasic waveforms reduce defibrillation threshold compared with corresponding monophasic waveforms. However, effects of fibrillation duration on relative efficacy of monophasic and biphasic waveforms are unknown. This study used a newly developed defibrillation model, the isolated rightand left-sided working rabbit heart, with epicardial defibrillation electrodes, to compare threshold for a monophasic waveform (5 msec rectangular) and an asymmetrical biphasic waveform (5 msec each pulse,
more » ... S V1). Mean voltage defibrillation threshold (V_%) was determined from sigmoidal probability of successful defibrillation versus shock intensity curves after 5, 15, and 30 seconds of fibrillation in a paired study with 10 hearts. Results showed that biphasic waveforms had significantly lower voltage and energy thresholds at all fibrillation durations and that their relative efflicacy improved with increasing fibrillation duration. Biphasic voltage threshold was 38.2 2.2, 44.7 4.8, and 46.6±+3.2 V after 5, 15, and 30 seconds of fibrillation compared with monophasic thresholds of 51.7±+4.4 (p<0.002), 63.0± 7.6 (p<0.05), and 72.1 3.9 V (p <O.CP5). Biphasic waveform energy threshold was 0.67 that for the monophasic waveform after 5 seconds of fibrillation (0.12 ±0.01 versus 0.18 ±0.03 J, p<0.05). The ratio between biphasic waveform threshold and monophasic waveform threshold (B/M) decreased to 0.62 at 15 seconds. At 30 seconds, B/M was 0.52 (0.17±0.02 versus 0.33±0.04 J, p<0.02). This study also showed that biphasic waveform threshold was a nonlinear function of monophasic waveform threshold so that improved biphasic defibrillator waveform efficacy was greatest for hearts having higher monophasic thresholds. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that biphasic waveforms lower defibrillation threshold by forcing recovery of excitation channels in the depolarized, partially refractory ventricular cells found during fibrillation. (Circulation Research 1990;67:376-384) P atients with recurrent episodes of ventricular fibrillation are often treated by implantation of an automatic defibrillator system, a procedure that currently requires sternotomy or thoracotomy and placement of epicardial patch electrodes. Occasionally, patients are placed at surgical risk without the benefit of defibrillator implantation because of unacceptably high thresholds. New nonthoracotomy lead systems with right ventricular/superior vena cava cath-
doi:10.1161/01.res.67.2.376 pmid:2376078 fatcat:qor3qz3j3rduvcdooh4rormlk4