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Multiple defibrillations with FRED®

A 76 years old patient had to be reanimated due to a myocardial infarct by the emergency physician. After defibrillation the patient was being transported to the hospital. In the intensive care unit, despite of antiarrhythmic therapy, he had to be defibrillated again several times, due to repeating ventricular fibrillation.

A special helicopter service was organized to transfer the patient on the next day into the University Clinic of Magdeburg. Also during the entire transport, multiple defibrillation shocks were necessary, every 1-2 minutes. Altogether the patient was defibrillated 29 times in 40 minutes with 160 joules biphasically pulsed. During the flight with the helicopter of type Bell-222 there were no electronic disturbances due to the defibrillations. Furthermore the capacity of the defibrillator battery was sufficient.

Having arrived at the University Clinic of Magdeburg, the intractable ventricular fibrillations finally stopped. The patient immediately received angiocoronary treatment. After a few days he was transferred from the intensive care unit to the general ward and could soon be dismissed from the hospital.