Defibrillator — Questions and answers
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What did Dr. Claude Beck say the heart was doing when it had ventricular fibrillation?
Choices
- It was dancing in a disorganized way. ✓
- It truly stopped moving completely.
- It was pumping blood very fast.
- It was completely silent and still.
Answer: It was dancing in a disorganized way.
From page 1
According to Dr. John MacWilliam, what happens to the heart's muscle fibers during ventricular fibrillation?
Choices
- They contract all together to make a strong beat.
- They relax completely and make the heart still.
- They contract on their own, making the heart quiver. ✓
- They get bigger and stronger with each beat.
Answer: They contract on their own, making the heart quiver.
From page 2
What did Dr. Carl Wiggers believe was the key to reversing fibrillation in his animal studies?
Choices
- Giving the animal a special sleeping medicine.
- Gently massaging the animal's heart by hand.
- Delivering a precise electrical current to the heart. ✓
- Waiting for the heart to heal itself over time.
Answer: Delivering a precise electrical current to the heart.
From page 3
After Dr. Beck's success, what was the next big challenge for scientists like William Kouwenhoven?
Choices
- To make the defibrillator much smaller so it could fit in a pocket.
- To find a way to deliver a shock through the intact chest wall without surgery. ✓
- To make the heart beat even faster after the shock.
- To teach more doctors how to perform open-heart surgery.
Answer: To find a way to deliver a shock through the intact chest wall without surgery.
From page 5
What important device did William Kouwenhoven and his team develop at Johns Hopkins?
Choices
- A special type of heart medicine.
- The first successful external defibrillator. ✓
- A new way to do open-heart surgery.
- Smaller paddles for use inside the body.
Answer: The first successful external defibrillator.
From page 6
What did Dr. Bernard Lown discover was very important when delivering an electrical shock to the heart?
Choices
- How large the paddles were.
- The exact timing of the counter-shock with the heart's rhythm. ✓
- The color of the wires used for the shock.
- How heavy the defibrillator machine was.
Answer: The exact timing of the counter-shock with the heart's rhythm.
From page 7
What special feature of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) made them helpful for many people, not just doctors?
Choices
- They could play calming music for the patient.
- They made the defibrillator much bigger and heavier.
- They could analyze the heart's rhythm and guide users with voice prompts. ✓
- They only worked when a medical professional was present.
Answer: They could analyze the heart's rhythm and guide users with voice prompts.
From page 9