Rectilinear biphasic waveform defibrillation of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Objective: The rectilinear biphasic (RLB) waveform has been shown to effectively defibrillate short-duration ventricular fibrillation (VF) at significantly lower energies than a monophasic damped sine (MDS) waveform. This article reports RLB waveform defibrillation effectiveness for patients presenting in VF during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest when compared with historical MDS effectiveness.

Methods: External RLB defibrillators were deployed in the Omaha Fire Department's emergency medical services (EMS) system.