Ventricular Fibrillation Studied by the Microelectrode Method

Abstract

Capillary ultramicroelectrodes were inserted into ventricular muscle fibers of dogs in ventricular fibrillation and action potentials obtained were compared with deflections of unipolar direct lead, adjoining bipolar direct lead or other electrocardiograms taken simultaneously. In most stages of ventricular fibrillation neither synehronism nor any other regular time relationship could he found between them. Microelectrodes inserted at two points variously distant on various regions of the ventricular surface also failed to show any regular time relationship. Total incoordination of ventricular muscle fibers was thus supported.