Malkin, Robert2018-08-132018-08-132006http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12091/139A defibrillator is used to reverse fibrillation of the heart, restoring the heart’s normally coordinated contractions. The uncoordinated contractions of the heart can take place in the atrial, or upper, chamber of the heart as well as in the heart’s ventricular, or lower, chamber. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is relatively common and can be well tolerated by the patient. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) causes the heart to stop pumping blood immediately, and is therefore fatal if not treated within minutes. Death from VF is often called a massive heart attack and is the most common cause of death.en-USDefibrillatorUMDNS: 11132Book chapter