V-fib
Structured condition card with NCLEX priority cues and nursing action focus.
Cardiachigh priorityneeds review
V-fib
Also testable as: Ventricular fibrillation
Etiology / Pathophysiology
- Chaotic ventricular electrical activity from ischemia, electrolyte derangement, or cardiac disease.
- No organized ventricular contraction means no effective cardiac output.
Medications
| Class | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Antiarrhythmics | Used during resuscitation per protocol after shock/CPR steps. |
Signs / symptoms
- No pulse with chaotic rhythm.
- Defibrillation, not synchronized cardioversion.
Nursing actions
- Call code, start CPR, and defibrillate per protocol.
- Continue high-quality compressions and rhythm checks per algorithm.
- Treat reversible causes when identified.
Complications
- Death without rapid defibrillation
NCLEX cues
- No pulse with chaotic rhythm.
- Defibrillation, not synchronized cardioversion.
Memory hooks
- V-fib gets defib.
Labs / Diagnostics
- Trend assessment findings and ordered diagnostics; verify exact values with school source material.
Review notes
- Session-derived study seed. Verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy before relying on details.
Cross references
Related cards are generated from the shared study map, not hand-built per page.
Source entitycondition card
V-fib
Condition card for V-fib: recognize the testable cue, prevent the complication, and choose the safest first nursing action.
Termcondition cue
ECG / EKG
Heart rhythm tracing used to assess rate, rhythm, ischemia, and conduction problems.
Med classmedication safety
Antiarrhythmics
Changes cardiac electrical conduction to terminate or prevent unsafe rhythms.