Sometimes the best way to learn is to observe. The popular perception of a cardioversion is that it’s this high intensity, dramatic event with doctors and nurses running around like crazy. The reality is however that they are an almost relaxed affair, which is a testament to the teams experience and professionalism. remaining calm and focussed under pressure is a hallmark of health care professionals in the emergency setting.
The list below depicts interesting cases I’ve come across during my travels through the internet. It includes both emergent and non-emergent cardioversion, sedated and concious cardioversion and also both pharmacological and electric (shock) cardioversion.
If you’re looking for a quick fix, look towards the bottom of the page for some short and to the point videos.
Educational Videos
Cardioversion of Atrial Flutter
The following video by Dr. Larry Mellick features a female patient being cardioverted from atrial flutter. This one is a bit of a longer video, but covers alot of material from the healthcare professionals point of view. Highly recommended!
Emergency Cardioversion
Another cardioversion recorded by Dr. Larry Mellick, this time featuring an emergency cardioversion of a semi-conscious patient. It is interesting to hear the physicians discuss what they’re doing, and the reasoning behind it.
Ventricular Tachycardia Cardioversion
This is an interesting case. Again, recorded by Dr. Mellick, this video shows that not all cardioversion go smoothly. This patient was in Ventricular Tachycardia and was resistant to repeated cardioversion attempts, definitely worth a watch!
Cardioversion by Adenosine
This is a great video by Dr. Oller from DrER.tv that shows a pharmacological intervention to achieve cardioversion of a patient with SVT. Again, a highly informative video as the physician goes over the details and processes behind the procedure.
Atrial Fibrillation Cardioversion
This is a good demonstration what can happen when a patient isn’t fully sedated when shocked. Although this video appears traumatic, the patient reports having no memory of the incident.
Young man SVT Cardioversion
This is an interesting case of a young man with SVT, and resistant to anaesthetics, resulting in him remaining conscious during the shock.