Action Potentials During Ventricular Fibrillation in Dogs

This study determined the response of action potentials during ventricular fibrillation (VF) to timed monophasic and biphasic shocks. A floating glass microelectrode was used to record intracellularly from the anterior right ventricle in 10 open-chest dogs. After 10 seconds of electrically induced VF, 5-millisecond monophasic and 2.5/2.5-millisecond biphasic shocks or 16-millisecond monophasic and 8/8-millisecond biphasic shocks were given via mesh electrodes on either side of the microelectrode. Monophasic and biphasic truncated exponential shocks of 5 V/cm were given with coupling intervals timed from the beginning of a VF action potential to the shock ranging from 50 to 70 milliseconds in 5-millisecond increments. Each coupling interval for each waveform was tested during a different VF episode. The interval between successive activations during VF was 86± 15 milliseconds (mean± SD). The refractory period during VF was 61±5 milliseconds for 5-millisecond monophasic shocks and 66±6 milliseconds for 2.5/2.5-millisecond biphasic shocks (P<.05). At each coupling interval, action potential duration at 50% repolarization (APD50) was significantly prolonged by the shocks compared with the mean preshock APDSO (P<.05). APD50 duration increased significantly with increases in the coupling interval (P<.05) for both monophasic and biphasic waveforms. For all coupling intervals together, APD50 prolongation as a percent of the mean preshock APD50 was 170±55%, 192±45%, 151+44%, and 175±45% for 5and 16-millisecond monophasic and 2.5/2.5and 8/8-millisecond biphasic waveforms, respectively. This APD50 prolongation was greater for monophasic than biphasic shocks and was greater for longer than shorter waveforms (P<.05). Thus, during VF, (1) the refractory period for 5-V/cm truncated exponential waveforms lasting 5 milliseconds is approximately 75% of the VF activation interval; (2) the refractory period is shorter for monophasic than for comparable biphasic waveforms; (3) both monophasic and biphasic 5-V/cm shock fields cause prolongation of action potential duration; (4) prolongation of action potential duration increases as the coupling interval increases; and (5) prolongation of action potential duration is greater for monophasic shocks and for longer shock waveforms. (Circulation Research 1993;73:325-334)