Finding coordinated atrial activity during ventricular fibrillation using wavelet decomposition

Abstract

Until recently, the ECG recorded during ventricular fibrillation was thought to represent disorganized and unstructured electrical activity of the heart. Using a new signal analysis technique based on wavelet decomposition, we have begun to reveal previously unreported structure within the ECG tracing. We report preliminary findings that provide the first evidence linking this structure to unexpected mechanical phenomena occurring in the heart.