What is the term for chaotic electrical activity originating from multiple sites in the heart?

The term for chaotic electrical activity originating from multiple sites in the heart is ventricular fibrillation. This condition is characterized by the heart's ventricles quivering instead of contracting effectively, which leads to an inability to pump blood and can result in sudden cardiac arrest if not treated immediately.

In ventricular fibrillation, disorganized electrical impulses prevent the heart from maintaining a coordinated rhythm, resulting in ineffective heartbeats. This chaotic electrical activity can be life-threatening without prompt intervention.

Other choices present distinct cardiac arrhythmias that do not fit this description. For instance, atrial fibrillation originates from the atria and results in an irregular rhythm but involves a more organized pattern than ventricular fibrillation. Ventricular tachycardia does involve rapid heart rhythms originating in the ventricles, but the impulses in VT are more organized than those seen in ventricular fibrillation. Normal sinus rhythm indicates a healthy heart rhythm with proper electrical conduction that does not reflect chaos. Thus, ventricular fibrillation is the most accurate description of the chaotic electrical activity originating from multiple sites in the heart.