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The human body is made up of numerous tissues, organs, trillions and millions of cells, and many other components. Different body organs perform different functions and help in proper functioning.

The brain controls the overall activity of the body, the nervous system controls all the sensory activity of the body, and the heart helps pump pure blood and transfer it into every part. Any dysfunction or disorder results in the improper functioning of the body part.

Key Takeaways

  1. Ventricular Tachycardia is a rapid heart rhythm that starts in the ventricles, while Ventricular Fibrillation is a disorganized electrical activity in the heart.
  2. Ventricular Tachycardia can last longer than Ventricular Fibrillation.
  3. Ventricular Fibrillation is more severe and can be life-threatening if not treated immediately.

Ventricular Tachycardia (V-tach) vs Ventricular Fibrillation (V-fib)

V-tach is a rapid heart rhythm that can be sustained or nonsustained, and can cause symptoms such as palpitations, shortness of breath, and dizziness. V-fib is a chaotic and irregular heart rhythm that can prevent blood from being pumped effectively, leading to cardiac arrest and sudden death.

Ventricular Tachycardia V tach vs Ventricular Fibrillation V fib

Ventricular Tachycardia is also known as short-term V-tach or VT. It is a heart disorder related to the heart’s irregular beating, also known as ‘arrhythmia’.

The ventricle of the heart receives irregular heart impulses, which result in an irregular heartbeat of the body. Eventually, the heart beats at a normal pace of 60 to 100 times in 1 minute, but because of the disorder, the human heart starts beating at a pace of 100 times and more in a minute, and due to this, the ventricles is not able to fill the chamber with blood.   

Ventricular Fibrillation is also known as the convenient short-term (V-fib). It is also one of the heart disorders related to the irregular beating of the heart.

In medical terms, this disorder of irregular heartbeat is known as ‘arrhythmia’. In this disorder, the heart’s lower chambers (or the ventricles) beats unnecessarily, resulting in the improper pumping of blood to other parts of the body.

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Comparison Table

Parameters of ComparisonVentricular Tachycardia (V-tach)Ventricular Fibrillation (V-fib)
DefinitionHeartbeat is abnormal but in regular intervalsHeartbeat is abnormal with irregular intervals
SymptomsStress, anxiety, palpitations, flopping in the chest, fainting, and many othersFainting, low blood pressure, nausea, chest pain, and many others
QRS Complex RegularIrregular or not visible
TreatmentCardioversion, anti-arrhythmic drugs, and many otherCPR, AED, arrhythmia medications
FrequencyApproximate 7% of people results in cardiac arrestApproximate 10% of people result in cardiac arrest
Heartbeat per minute200 beats300-350 beats
DiagnosisECG, MRI, and transoesophageal echocardiographyECG, Blood tests, MRI, CT scan, Chest X-ray, Angiogram, and Echocardiogram  
AppearanceNarrow complexIt can’t be differentiated further

What is Ventricular Tachycardia (V-tach)?

Ventricular Tachycardia is a heart condition in which the heart of the individual beats abnormally. And this abnormality of the heart leads the heart’s lower chambers (the ventricles) not to fill the blood in their respective chambers.

In medical terms, the irregular beating of the heart is known as ‘arrhythmia’ or ‘dysrhythmia’. A healthy human heart will beat around 60 to 100 times within a minute or, on average, 72 times.

But in this condition, the capacity of the heartbeat grows up to 100 times to more than it. Thus, the irregularity or chaos leads to the insufficient blood supply to other body parts.

Some of the major symptoms of the disorder are – the uneven increase in stress level, anxiety, faintness, flopping chest pain, palpitations, etc. The disorder is not normally diagnosed because even in the ECG, the QRS Complex seems to be normal.

Although there are other methods of diagnosis, they are MRI and Transoesophageal echocardiography. 

ventricular tachycardia v tach

What is Ventricular Fibrillation (V-fib)?

Ventricular Fibrillation (V-fib) is a heart condition in which the heart receives abnormal signals leading to the abnormal behaviour of the heart’s lower chamber. The lower chambers or the ventricles beat unnecessarily, and this activity results in the insufficient pumping of the blood to different other body parts.

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This condition requires immediate attention because it is one of the reasons for major cardiac arrests suffered by individuals. The common symptoms shown by the body for the disorder are – fainting, low blood pressure, nausea, chest pain, and many others.

The condition requires immediate first aid or treatment by the Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) technique. The other treatment for the condition is the AED – Automated External Defibrillator and Arrhythmia medications.

ventricular fibrillation v fib

Main Differences Between Ventricular Tachycardia (V-tach) and Ventricular Fibrillation (V-fib)

  1. Ventricular Tachycardia (V-tach) is the disorder in which the heartbeat of the individual is abnormal but occurs at regular intervals, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, Ventricular Fibrillation (V-fib) is the disorder in which the heartbeat of the individual is abnormal with abnormality in the interval.
  2. Some of the symptoms of Ventricular Tachycardia (V-tach) are – stress, anxiety, palpitations, flopping in the chest, fainting, and many others, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, some of the symptoms of Ventricular Fibrillation (V-fib) are – fainting, low blood pressure, nausea, chest pain, and many others.
  3. The QRS complex of Ventricular Tachycardia (V-tach) appears to be normal or regular, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the QRS complex of Ventricular Fibrillation (V-fib) appears to be irregular or not visible.
  4. Ventricular Tachycardia (V-tach) can be treated by cardioversion, anti-arrhythmic drugs, and many other medications and processes, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, Ventricular Fibrillation (V-fib) can be treated by CPR, AED, arrhythmia medications, and many other medications and processes.
  5. The frequency of cardiac arrest suffered by the individual is 7%, whereas comparatively, the frequency of cardiac arrest suffered by the individual is 10%.
  6. In Ventricular Tachycardia (V-tach), the heart beats around 200 times within a minute, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, during Ventricular Fibrillation (V-fib), the heart beats around 300-350 times within a minute.
  7. ECG and MRI can diagnose Ventricular Tachycardia (V-tach) condition, and transoesophageal echocardiography, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, Ventricular Fibrillation (V-fib) condition can be diagnosed by ECG, Blood tests, MRI, CT scan, Chest X-ray, Angiogram, and Echocardiogram.
  8. Ventricular Tachycardia is narrow and complex, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, Ventricular Fibrillation cannot be distinguished any further. 
References
  1. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/754554
  2. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/376752
  3. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/7897292
  4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0002870383905148
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By Piyush Yadav

Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.