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Electrical Instrumentation And Hazards, Barouh V. Berkovits

MCV/Q, Medical College of Virginia Quarterly

Electric current is both valuable and hazardous in cardiac therapy. Small amounts of electric current are enough to electrocute the patient, especially if the current is delivered through a catheter in the heart. It has been demonstrated that currents as low as 10-15 microamperes are capable of inducing ventricular fibrillation. This minute amount of current is actually a thousand times less than what you can barely feel with your hand; nevertheless, this amount of current, internally, can cause many problems. Therefore, electrical equipment, when used, must be used carefully. We must be careful of the amount of current induced by …