The biphasic mystery: why a biphasic shock is more effective than a monophasic shock for defibrillation.

We demonstrate that a biphasic shock is more effective than a monophasic shock at eliminating reentrant electrical activity in an ionic model of cardiac ventricular electrical activity. This effectiveness results from early hyperpolarization that enhances the recovery of sodium inactivation, thereby enabling earlier activation of recovering cells. The effect can be seen easily in a model of a single cell and also in a cable model with a ring of excitable cells. Finally, we demonstrate the phenomenon in a two-dimensional model of cardiac tissue. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.