Methods and systems for treating ventricular fibrillation

A stimulation device comprising:

• memory;
• one or more processors;
• instructions in the memory which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
• monitor a patient for ventricular fibrillation;
• responsive to a patient experiencing ventricular fibrillation, administer at least one shock using an electrode configuration that includes at least one right ventricular electrode but does not include an electrode proximate the patient's right atrium;
• and
• responsive to the patient continuing to experience ventricular fibrillation, administer at least one additional shock using a different electrode configuration that comprises at least one electrode proximate the patient's right atrium.

A method comprising:

• responsive to a patient experiencing ventricular fibrillation, administering at least one shock using a right ventricular electrode configuration that comprises at least one right ventricular electrode, said at least one shock being administered at a first shock energy level;
• responsive to the patient continuing to experience ventricular fibrillation, administering one or more additional shocks using the right ventricular electrode configuration at increasingly greater shock energy levels;
• and
• responsive to (a) the patient continuing to experience ventricular fibrillation and (b) a shock energy level that has been or will be used to administer a shock satisfying an energy level threshold relationship, administering at least one additional shock using a different electrode configuration that comprises at least one electrode within the patient's heart that is not a right ventricular electrode.

A method comprising:

• responsive to a patient experiencing ventricular fibrillation, administering a first shock using only a right ventricular coil electrode and a pulse generator housing electrode, the first shock being administered at a first shock energy level;
• responsive to the patient continuing to experience ventricular fibrillation, administering a second shock using only the right ventricular coil electrode and the pulse generator housing electrode, the second shock being administered at a second shock energy level that is greater than the first shock energy level;
• and
• responsive to the patient continuing to experience ventricular fibrillation, administering at least one additional shock using an electrode configuration comprising the right ventricular coil electrode and a superior vena cava coil electrode, said at least one additional shock being administered at a third shock energy level that is greater than the second shock energy level.