Energy and current requirements for ventricular defibrillation using trapezoidal waves.

The threshold energy and current required for ventricular defibrillation was determined in dogs ranging in weight from 6.4 to 38 kg and in ponies ranging in weight from 40 to 101 kg. Trapezoidal waves, 10 ms in duration, with 10%, 50%, 70%, and 90% tilt were applied to transchest electrodes. For all values of tilt, the energy and current required increased with body weight. The energy dose (joules per kilogram of body weight) was higher for the heavier animals, whereas the current dose (peak amperes per kilogram of body weight) was essentially the same for dogs and ponies. In both species and for all four waveforms, the percent success increased with increasing energy and current dose. For all four waveforms and for both species, the threshold average current required for defibrillation was between 0.38 and 0.48 A/kg, indicating that average current may be a convenient unit to compare the efficacy of different waveforms.