Resuscitation of the Heart in Ventricular Standstill by External Electric Stimulation

TLDR

Cardiac standstill is a serious, usually terminal event that rarely responds to current therapies and may be transient in complete heart block, causing Stokes‑Adams syndrome. The report describes a quick, simple, effective, and safe method of arousing the heart from ventricular standstill using an external electric pacemaker in two patients. For the first time, the procedure kept a patient alive during ventricular asystole lasting hours to days, and it may prove valuable in many clinical situations. No additional information.

Abstract

THE purpose of this report is to describe the successful use in 2 patients of a quick, simple, effective and safe method of arousing the heart from ventricular standstill by an artificial, external, electric pacemaker. For the first time it was possible to keep a patient alive during ventricular asystole lasting for hours to days. This procedure may prove valuable in many clinical situations. Cardiac standstill is a serious, usually terminal, event that rarely responds to currently employed therapeutic measures. In patients with complete heart block it may be transient, causing the Stokes-Adams syndrome. Occasionally, cardiac standstill occurs in the . . .