SUCCESSFUL DEFIBRILLATION OF HEART

Abstract

In almost all instances of successful defibrillation of the heart the procedure has been carried out in a surgical operating room, where the essential apparatus, supplies, and instruments were readily available. A few exceptions have occurred. These exceptions are sufficiently important to be reported, because they point the way toward the extension of the resuscitative procedure to areas in the hospital that are outside the operating room and possibly to areas that are outside the hospital itself. Two of these exceptional cases have occurred in the University Hospitals of Cleveland. The first¹was in an ambulatory patient who had angina pectoris. As this patient was leaving the hospital after an electrocardiogram had been taken, he collapsed in what was considered to be a fatal heart attack. He was transported to a nearby operating room, and within minutes the chest was opened. The heart was emptied by hand massage while