The peak current required for trans-chest ventricular defibrillation is virtually species and weight independent at approximately 1 A/kg of body weight, making it a better indicator than energy.
Does peak current or energy better predict the electrical dose required for ventricular defibrillation in subjects of varying body weights?
Peak current (approximately 1 A/kg) is a more consistent, weight-independent metric for determining the electrical dose for ventricular defibrillation than energy, suggesting current-based dosing may improve success in heavy subjects.
Electrical ventricular defibrillation of heavy subjects (over 100 kg body weight) is uncommon for the human or any animal species. This paper reports trans-chest ventricular defibrillation of subjects ranging in weight from 2.3 to 340 kg using conventional defibrillation current (heavily damped sine wave) of 0.3-30 ms duration. It was found that a body weight-to-electrical-shock strength relationship exists and can be expressed in terms of either electrical energy or peak current. For the duration of current pulse used clinically (3-10 ms), the relationship between energy requirement and body weight is expressed by the equation U = 0.73 W(1.52), where U is the energy in W.s and W is the body weight in kilograms. The current relationship is I = 1.87 W(0.88) where I is the peak current in amperes and W is the body weight in kilograms. The energy dose is somewhat more species and weight dependent and ranges from 0.5 to 10 W.s/kg (0.23-4.5 W.s/lb). The data obtained indicate that the peak current dose is virtually species and weight independent and is therefore a better indicator than energy for electrical defibrillation with precordial electrodes. In the duration range of 3-10 ms, the electrical dose is very nearly 1 A/kg of body weight (0.45 A/lb).
Geddes et al. (Tue,) conducted a other in Ventricular fibrillation (n=35). Trans-chest ventricular defibrillation was evaluated on Threshold delivered energy and peak current required for defibrillation. The peak current required for trans-chest ventricular defibrillation is virtually species and weight independent at approximately 1 A/kg of body weight, making it a better indicator than energy.