Cardioversion

GENERAL INFORMATION:

What is it? Cardioversion (KAR-d-o-ver-shun) is when a machine called a defibrillator (d-FIB-rih-la-tur) gives a short electric shock to the heart. This shock is given at a certain time during the heartbeat to help your heartbeat return to normal.

How does the heart normally work?

• The heart has 4 chambers or rooms called the right and left atria (A-tree-uh) and ventricles (VEN-trik-ulls). Blood vessels bring blood from your body to the right atrium in your heart. The blood moves into the right ventricle where it is pumped into the lungs to get oxygen. The oxygen-rich blood goes into the left atrium and down into the left ventricle. The left ventricle pumps the blood out to the body where the oxygen can be used.
  
  
• Special cells inside the heart send electrical impulses to the heart muscles telling the heart to beat. These cells are called pacemaker cells. A normal heart beats about 70 to 80 times a minute.

Why do you need cardioversion? Cardioversion may be needed if you have a cardiac arrhythmia (uh-RITH-me-uh). Arrhythmias are when the heart does not have a normal beat. Cardioversion can help stop the arrhythmia long enough to let the heart's normal pacemaker cells take over. Then the heartbeat can return to normal. Following are the 4 main types of arrhythmias that may be treated with cardioversion. Ask your caregiver for the CareNotes™ handout if you have one of these arrhythmias.

• Atrial flutter.
  
  
• Atrial fibrillation.
  
  
• Supraventricular tachycardia.
  
  
• Ventricular tachycardia.

Care:

• Heart medicine is usually used first to treat arrhythmias. If the medicine does not stop the arrhythmia, caregivers may then use cardioversion. Before having the cardioversion, you may have tests to make sure there are no blood clots in your heart. You may be given blood thinning medicine before having the cardioversion. You may also be given heart medicine for 1 to 2 days before being treated with cardioversion. This medicine is used to help make the heart sensitive to the electrical charge. This helps the heart change back to a normal beat during the cardioversion.
  
  
• If possible, you will be given medicine to help you relax before the cardioversion. If the shock works, your heart rate and rhythm will return to normal. You may go home the same day or you may stay in the hospital overnight. You may need to take medicines afterward to control your heart rate and to thin your blood.

CARE AGREEMENT:

You have the right to help plan your care. To help with this plan, you must learn about your health condition and how it may be treated. You can then discuss treatment options with your caregivers. Work with them to decide what care may be used to treat you. You always have the right to refuse treatment.

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