Terminal Cardiac Arrhythmias

Because of the frequency with which death of the individual is dependent on cardiac failure, the mode of death of the heart is a matter of considerable interest. Moreover, it is highly probable 1 that one of the mechanisms found to occur in gradual cardiac death, that is, ventricular fibrillation, is responsible for many sudden deaths of otherwise unknown cause, as suggested by McWilliam. 2 At the present time, the electrocardiogram offers our best means of attacking this problem. Despite the interest in the subject and its importance, there are but few clinical records of terminal mechanisms and fewer of ventricular fibrillation. The paucity of clinical electrocardiographic records of lethal exitus needs no explanation. That ventricular fibrillation is not better known clinically results from the fact that this mechanism is necessarily fatal, if it persists beyond a very few minutes. Experimentally, the condition is rather well known 3 since it can be produced