Successful defibrillation in the prone position

Abstract

Early defibrillation provides the greatest chance of survival after ventricular fibrillation. Conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation requires the patient to be in the supine position. Electrical treatment of arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation by means of a defibrillator back paddle in patients receiving prone ventilation in intensive care has been described. We report a case in which electrical defibrillation was successfully performed in the prone position in a patient undergoing complex spinal surgery. We suggest that, if defibrillation were required in ventilated patients positioned prone, defibrillation should be attempted in the prone position, as turning the patient supine would consume valuable minutes and reduce the chances of successful defibrillation.