Biphasic defibrillation was introduced after the traditional heart defibrillators were released, which are monophasic. These two devices are used to bring a heart back to normal rhythm after going into cardiac arrest. There was a lot of hype about the biphasic defibrillators being so much better and that so many more lives were going to be saved with these devices. However, these two different devices are serving the same purpose and are equivalent.
A monophasic defibrillator sends a single shock into the body in one direction. This charge only goes in one direction. The biphasic defibrillator sends half of a shock into the body in one direction and the other half of the charge in the opposite direction. This defibrillator alternates directions in about 10 milliseconds, which is considered to be a cycle. Even though they send shock waves differently throughout the body, they work the same, and neither device has proven to work better in saving people at all. They both have the same results in defibrillation.
Although, there are advantages of the biphasic defibrillator. The biphasic defibrillator was made smaller than the monophasic device, which makes it much more portable. The biphasic is also cheaper and cost less than the monophasic. The biggest advantage that the biphasic defibrillator has over the monophasic is that the batteries last longer and that it takes less energy to zap the patients than it does with a monophasic. This has been a good enough reason for many doctors to switch over is in the energy.
Biphasic defibrillation acts differently as monophasic defibrillation because the two devices send shock waves through the body in different ways. Both of the devices are intended to save an individual when in cardiac arrest to provide immediate care restoring the heart back to a normal beat. Both of these devices work the same and neither device is better or saves heart attack patients more. The two devices are equivalent. Although, the biphasic defibrillator is cheaper, smaller, and saves energy. These are the biggest reasons the biphasic is a preferred defibrillator, but not because of the way the currents are sent through the body.
