Archive for the ‘Defibrillator Training’ Category

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Support Defibrillators in Your Local Community

Wednesday, April 13th, 2011

With the increased case of cardiac arrests being reported daily, it is evident that the problem needs to be addressed fast and correctly. Most people are suffering from the condition mainly as a result of changed ways of life although those who suffer from heart conditions and other medical conditions are more prone to the attacks compared to the rest of the people.

There are different types of defibrillators available in the market which have proven to essential in saving lives that could have otherwise be lost. It is no wonder that most public entities are purchasing the devices as well as individuals who feel there is a need to have the devices in the short and long term.

The medical devices are easy to use and require little or no medical knowledge to perform their functions. It does not take medical personnel to save a life using the defibrillators since any person who knows how to use the device can effectively use it when the situation calls. The Automated External Defibrillators are the most common today as they are portable and easy to use. There are however a few things that a person should know about the devices if he or she is to use them right in saving lives.

The very first thing that should be known is how to start the devices. Even though it is not that hard to start the device, people with no idea what should be done to have the device work might find it difficult to use it losing a life in the process. The device comes with a manual although people can also take the initiative of getting proper training on the use of the defibrillators.

The second thing that an individual needs to know is how to place the device on the patient. There is a proper way of placing the device onto to the important body parts of it is to work and perform its function which is resuscitating the heart. The manual coming with the device can be very helpful in this although there is a necessity to get the proper training if a life is to be saved quick and without exposing the brain to any damage that may come as a result of delay.

The last thing is the proper care and maintenance for the device especially for people who purchase it on personal level. Establishments as well should know how to take good care of the devices if they are to perform correctly when needed the most. Most of the available models in the market come with built in self-check systems and following the procedures provided will tell how good the device is in giving the right services. In case there is a faulty message, this means that some components of the device are not working and need to be checked out.

These three things are very important and should not be taken for granted as they could determine the fate of a needy person who is in a desperate situation that needs immediate attention.

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Should we Include CPR and AED in Public Education?

Friday, April 8th, 2011

CPR means cardiopulmonary resuscitation and is a lifesaving procedure in emergencies. The procedure is performed on people who have stopped breathing or have no heartbeat like it is common in cases of drowning and electric shocking. This procedure involves the use of breathing techniques meant to provide the necessary oxygen to the patient suffering from the condition allowing proper circulation of blood thereby restoring proper heart neat and breathing.

Failure to offer the procedure when it is most needed could lead to brain damage that could be permanent or even worse; it can cause death since there is no blood flowing to the brain. This means that the procedure is very important in terms of saving lives. The procedures vary according to the size and age of the patient and there is therefore a need to have some kind of training on what’s best and in what situations.

AED on the hand stands for Automated External Defibrillator which is an electric device used to get rid of cardiac arrests. The device works by analyzing the heart situation and determining the kind of wattage in electric current needed by the patient to get the heart beating back to normal. The electric current administered by the device stops the heart and starts it assisting it in beating within the normal rates saving the lives of many people. External defibrillators do not need medical expertise to be used effectively in saving lives so long as there is the knowledge to start them and to place them correctly onto the chest area. They are especially of great importance where no medical facility is nearby and the life could be lost as medical help is called for.

CPR and AED training is important to the public as there is no telling when need might call. There is nothing worse than been caught up in a desperate situation with the right device at hand and then not knowing what to do to save the life of the person in danger. It might take much more than CPR to save the life of a person suffering from cardiac arrests and since AEDs are now available even in public places, there is a great need to train the public on the best procedures and the right precautions to take in such case.

The AED and CPR education should be taken with the same seriousness that first aid is given if at all a great majority of people are to know how to save lives when the situations strikes. Cardiac arrests can occur at any time and place and can attack any person making it very important to have the right knowledge on the use of the devices together with the right breathing techniques to administer to the person as the right person are waited for or as the patient is rushed to the hospital.

The training does not take a long time and the public should therefore undergo the basics of lifesaving using AEDs and CPR techniques. This could be very important in saving the lives of those who desperately need the procedures.

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Posted in CPR, Defibrillator News, Defibrillator Training, Defibrillators

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Survival Rates Increase with Defibrillators in Large Venues

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

Large venues like shopping malls, sports arena, airports and public learning institutions have a higher survival rate when defibrillators are easily available. Studies show that people who collapse in such places have a chance of survival as compared to when the person could have collapsed at home. Large venues have all sorts of people: paramedics, nurses, doctors and bystanders who are quick to act when there is an emergency.

Large venues also have many automatic external defibrillators that can be operated in less than two minutes. A person who collapses at a mall is considered as an active person who went shopping. A person who suffers a cardiac arrest in a sports arena is believed to be very energetic and when the procedure to normalize the heart’s rhythm is performed survival rates will increase. People who experience a cardiac arrest while at home are mostly very old people whose hearts have very faint rhythms and have underlying conditions.

Bystanders in large venues do not stand and watch while a person dies of a cardiac arrest. People are quick to help and CPR skills are put into use while someone else fetches the defibrillator. Trying to keep the blood flowing to other key body organs is crucial because when the defibrillator shocks the heart, the victim will recover faster when taken to the hospital.

A study shows that out 34% of the total number of cardiac arrest victims in public areas survive when an AED is used to shock the heart. The heart usually has a disrupted rhythm that can be shocked after CPR and 79% of the victims have this condition that increases survival. It is easier when a cardiac arrest person is in a public place with many people because response team dispatched to help arrives within minutes and also emergency team from the nearest hospital will be quick. Many people divide the activities that need to be done for a person to actually survive a heart attack. One person will call 911, the other will fetch the AED while another one will administer CPR.

The fact that CPR alone cannot help a victim’s heart restart means that if a person collapses at home or a large venue without AED procedure, it does not make a difference in survival rates. The important device is the AED because it can detect the faintest heart rhythm that can be shocked and restart the heart. In large venues, defibrillators are labeled and easily to reach so that in case of emergency, a person will take less than one minute to remove it and start the procedure. The fact that about 300, 000 Americans die annually due to cardiac arrest especially old people means that public response is very important when helping a person who has collapsed far away from a health institution. People nowadays train in basic lifesaving skills and in large venues, it is very possible to find one or two people and even more who have the knowledge to use an AED and make necessary steps like remove metal necklaces, shave chest hair, remove wire bras and also move the victim from a place that has a water to a dry area.

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Posted in Cardiac Arrest, CPR, Defibrillator News, Defibrillator Training, Defibrillators, Heart Disease, Survival Stories

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Increasing the Number of Public Defibrillators

Sunday, March 27th, 2011

People have always been caught off guard when someone falls on the streets due to a heart attack. For many bystanders, the first response is panic and then other people act when they realize that a person will die in front of their eyes when they could have helped. CPR is always the first thing people do when someone they do not know has collapsed. This has helped a lot of people but it is in rare cases because not everyone walking down the street has the required skills to perform CPR. Other people fear that they might kill the patient faster than the heart attack due to lack of skills or they fear doing the mouth to mouth breathing procedure. Increasing the number of public defibrillators is an excellent idea because a heart attack does not give patients a warning. Cardiac arrests are random in occurrence; some occur due to shock, lack of medicine or the abnormal and uncontrolled heart attack.

When the number of public defibrillators is increased, every street, institution or playing field will have the defibrillators. This means that people who have random heart attacks will receive quick medical response because the public defibrillators will be near. The idea is to call for help when a person has collapsed due to cardiac arrest and administer CPR while waiting for the defibrillator to arrive. The device will take two to three minutes to arrive and this depends on the location of the heart attack. A person who falls on the streets will not wait for a long time for the device to be brought and the procedure started. The airport has its defibrillators always ready for emergency purposes. Most schools and playing fields also have such devices. This shows that the public has taken the initiative to save lives while waiting for emergency personnel to arrive. Using a defibrillator is simple and safe because it has an audio command that shows people what to do every single moment.

People have always feared carrying out CPR in public when they are not skilled. This fear has been eliminated by a device that can administer shocks with the click of a button. Emergency personnel will arrive later to take a patient who has experienced a heart attack but before this team arrives, the public has only five minutes to help stabilize the heart rhythms of a person who has collapsed and save a life. These defibrillators are stored in different street corners, train stations, airports and other places because nobody knows when these devices will be used. People who have survived a heart attack because a public defibrillator was used have no complications when they are taken to the hospital. CPR administered by people who are not experienced causes complications when a patient survives. The need for defibrillators in every location is very important because it will save the lives of very many people who need instant medical response. The good thing about an increased number of public defibrillators is that a person can get it while on foot, eliminating the feature of heavy traffic because the devices are within reach.

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Posted in Cardiac Arrest, Defibrillator News, Defibrillator Training, Defibrillators

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How to Use an Automated External Defibrillator

Tuesday, March 15th, 2011

For every minute that a person experiences sudden cardiac arrest, their chances of survival decrease by 10%. Therefore, early detection and intervention are tantamount to survival. CPR and an Automated External Defibrillator can be the keys to the victim’s survival. An AED is just that; an automated defibrillator machine that instructs the layperson on what to do. Due to increases in awareness and education, many public places have AED’s on-site.

First, it is important to recognize the signs and symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest. Signs and symptoms include collapsing and loss of consciousness. Another sign may be finding a person who is unconscious and unresponsive. It is important to check for consciousness as the person may have had a seizure or be in shock, thus requiring different medical care. After surveying the scene for threats to your safety, you will want to “shake and shout” for an adult or pinch and shout to a child or infant.

After determining that the scene is safe and the person is unconscious, it is extremely important to call 911. If you are by yourself, call 911 and follow their instructions. If you are in a crowd of people, point to a specific person in the crowd and instruct them, “You, call 911.” It will also help to pick a specific person to find an AED if it is not readily available.

After 911 has been called and the defibrillator has been located, check to make sure there are no electrical hazards such as standing water, and move the person to a safe location if needed. Next, open the AED and turn it on by pressing the “power” or “on” button. It will instruct you to expose their chest and make sure their skin is dry clean. AED’s usually come with scissors and a razor so you can cut their shirt and shave any hair. Remove any under-wire bras, metal jewelry, or medicine patches. Then, you will be instructed to attach the two sticky pads, or electrodes, to their chest according to a diagram. Standard application includes:

-The right-center of their chest, just above their nipple.
-Below their nipple, and to the left on their ribcage on their left-hand side.
-One inch away from any piercings, or implanted devices such as a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator; the outline of implanted devices is usually visible beneath the skin.

The machine will then check the connection of the electrodes. If it prompts you to check them, make sure they are plugged into the machine and securely attached to the skin. After a secure connection is established, make sure that no one is touching the person and press the “analyze” button and stay clear. The machine will check the person’s heart rate and determine if a shock is necessary. If a shock is necessary, it will instruct you and bystanders to stay clear and press the shock button. Otherwise, it will instruct you to perform CPR. Follow the AED’s instructions until emergency medical personnel arrive.

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CPR & AED Training for High School Graduates

Thursday, March 10th, 2011

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) education and training should be required for high school students. They are the next generation and most cardiac arrest events occur in the home. In a sense, this entire next generation could become first responders and prevent many potential needless deaths.

States have various recommendations when it comes to the length of certification and a benefit is that relearning the process of CPR and how to use an AED allows for trainees to remain up to date on any technology changes. Recently, the American Heart Association (AHA) released an advisory calling for these trainings during secondary education because cardiac arrest is one the top causes of death in the country. Every year, when students graduate a fresh new group of highly trained youth enters society ready to act without hesitation when an emergency occurs.

There are many challenges to consider when trying to implement this training and actually require it for qualifying for graduation. Some may say it necessitates more funding but at least some of the cost is already built into an average school system’s budget. Most schools already teach health and allocate a certain percentage of funds from its budget to cover instructing human health topics.

Others may say we should concentrate on the main goal of education first: instructing our youth in science, math and other subjects to properly prepare them for their future in their respective communities. Again, the financial resources should already be built into existing budgets. This is also similar to the argument that there is only so much time during a school day and every hour comes at a premium. Again, this training could be included into health science or physical education classes.

AED’s are increasingly becoming popular in malls, airports, theaters and even passenger ferries. Training students before an accident or emergency occurs should increase the chances of survival for any trauma victim. Having more trained civilians in society increases the chance that a bystander will have the knowledge and training to assist during any emergency and their confidence will help calm any friends and family of this victim.

Some proposals have included reusing the same mannequins for CPR and AED training purposes throughout a school system. The same concept could apply for the AED devices.

Another benefit to consider is that this age group is associated with positions in which this training is a great benefit. Some high school students are babysitters, lifeguards and other positions which may actually require this type of training.

Important details such as chest compression techniques could be demonstrated if the trainee might not be willing to proceed with mouth to mouth CPR if called for. Proper procedures to perform until professional first responders arrive could mean all the difference in a trauma victim’s chances of survival.

The next step is each state or the federal government passing legislation to ensure this important training is offered and completed by students.

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Best Practices for Defibrillator Use

Tuesday, March 8th, 2011

When faced with a crisis, people respond based on previous experiences and personal knowledge. Without prior training most people will not feel confident to step into the role of aiding a cardiac arrest victim. Automated External Defibrillators come with both written and audio instructions which are easy for the rescuer to follow. However, it never hurts to be familiar with the best practices for using defibrillators beforehand.

Assign People to Specific Jobs
If more than one person is available to assist, make sure someone assigns specific roles to people, and that everyone in the area knows who is helping and who is standing back. One person should begin CPR immediately, while a second is sent to retrieve the AED, and a third is given the job of contacting emergency services. With two or more people on hand, don’t wait for the defibrillator before starting CPR. Only attach the defibrillator before beginning manual chest compressions if only one person is available to help.

Take Time to Follow the Defibrillator’s Instructions
The mere fact that an AED is on hand improves the patient’s chances of survival immensely. It’s just as important to follow the instructions to the letter as it is to get the job done quickly. Many defibrillators come with two different sized pads, child size and adult size. Using an incorrect size can do more harm than good.

The voice commands on AEDs will tell users when to stop CPR and when rescuers must keep their distance, but the scene can be chaotic. The person who is in control of setting up the defibrillator needs to be in charge of seeing that no one is touching the patient when the machine is analyzing or delivering a shock. Any other human contact during these moments could cause the machine to take an incorrect reading, or worse, deliver a shock to one of the rescuers.

Clear All Obstacles Before Using The AED
The pads of the AED must be placed on bare skin. That means removing all clothing. Some women’s bras will be small enough to allow the pads to be placed unimpeded, but be aware that bras may need to be removed as well.

A victim that is wet or laying in water will need to be moved or dried thoroughly before being shocked. Since water will conduct electricity, the shock from the defibrillator may not be applied correctly if it contacts a liquid. Similarly, remove any metal objects before delivering a shock. Not only could the metal interrupt the course of the electricity, it could send a shock to anyone else touching the metal.

Some heart patients may wear nitroglycerin patches. Remove all types of patches before attaching the pads, just to be on the safe side. There is a very small chance that the patch could impede the shock, or even explode.

Patients with pacemakers can have defibrillator used on them, although the AED pads should not be placed directly on top of an external pacemaker.

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What You Should Know before Using an AED

Friday, February 18th, 2011

There are very important things to learn before using an AED on a person who is experiencing a heart attack. There are situations where a person might just be asleep and it is very important to check. A person who is asleep with respond to noise and touch this means when you find a person on the floor, do not start operating the AED before shaking and shouting. Infants also undergo a cardiac arrest and sometimes it is hard to know when they are sleeping or unconscious. The best way to know is to check the breathing pattern or pinching the child and not shouting or shaking the baby. If the child is unresponsive then AED is fetched and the procedure carried out.

When a person has a cardiac arrest, the first thing to do is to call 911 or ask another person to do it for you and also get the AED while you administer CPR. The AED is very important in a person’s who is having a heart attack because it works with minimal technical skills. Bystanders can also operate the machine because it gives clear instructions. The most important thing to note before using AED is that water conducts electricity. AED uses electric charge to shock the heart. A person who has fallen on the ground should be moved away from water or puddles. Sweat should also be wiped off because little water will shock the patient to death.

Using an AED is very simple but it requires a person’s utmost attention. Before turning on the device a person should make sure that the pads that are to be attached to a patient’s chest touch the skin for electrode transfer. If the patient has a lot of hair in the chest the best thing to do before using an AED is to trim the hair. The device comes with a complete set of scissors and razors in case there is a patient who has a lot of hair and has fallen into cardiac arrest.

If a person is wearing any metal, it should be removed carefully and the chest cleaned so that the sticky pads can be applied right before the procedure. Remove under-wire bras or metal necklaces from a person who has collapsed due to heart attack. These metals will conduct electricity and the worst thing when a patient has woken up from a cardiac arrest is painful burns. Removing the bra of a woman who has collapsed before performing the procedure should not be shameful because this is saving a life and it means reducing the risks of other complications after the procedure.

There can be other implanted devices such as pacemaker under the skin. For a person about to operate an AED, you should check out for such implants and body piercings. Before using the AED, the pads should be positioned at least an inch away from devices that have been implanted in the body or piercings. This is to make electricity from the AED flow without restraint between the two pads and not between the implant devices or piercings. The last thing to know before using an AED is the wires from the pads should be well connected to the AED and that no one is standing near the device.

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Educating the Public about CPR and AEDs

Tuesday, February 15th, 2011

AED & CPR Training
Portable defibrillators have come as a major breakthrough in the medical world as they have made it easier to save lives. These are some of the most crucial devices carried around today by a number of ambulances and people. The devices can help save a life when ventricular tachycardia of ventricular fibrillation becomes persistence thereby threatening the life of the individual in question.

The portable devices have come in handy in thousands of occasion where there were no right medical personnel in resuscitating people suffering from cardiac arrests saving them from the jaws of death. They are essential in helping the patients before they get to the hospital to get the right treatment and care that they might need.

The automated external defibrillators have undergone gradual improvements over the years with the attention given to the design and the portability of the gadgets. They are also made in such a way that they are able to analyze the heart rhythm and diagnose the right shock rhythm then charge. This is of great importance since it means that there are basically no skills needed in resuscitating the heart provided one has the knowledge of using the device. Even without a medical background, ordinary people can attend to emergencies using the AED.

Years back, the bulky defibrillators were dangerous when left in the hands of untrained personnel and they never left the hospitals but with the portable devices now, it is easy to move around with them and even use them when the situation calls without worrying that they might not function well or that they might pose dangers to the person suffering and person administering in case they are not used well.

With the portable devices, it is now much easier to save lives regardless where the situation calls for such measures. Since the cases of cardiac arrest seem to be increasing by the day, the portable defibrillators have come in handy and are very useful even in the streets and homes where the six minutes can mean a lot ion saving a life. It is not always that emergencies occur in areas where there is a hospital or medical care nearby.

The good thing about the automated defibrillators is that they have the ability to determine whether the patient suffering from cardiac arrest really needs the shocks. On realizing that there is indeed a need to administer the current, it is able to measure the right voltage needed for that particular case. This is an important feature as it means that an individual does not have to worry about wasting the wattage or administering the wrong wattage on the individual. The only important thing is to know how to use the device and it does the rest.

Portable defibrillators come in designs that are friendly meaning that they do not cause any storage problems as they can be stored in almost every place chosen. The designs have now made it possible for schools, airports, gate communities and other places and events have the important device just in case there is a need to save a life when least expected.

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Proper Defibrillator Training Can Save Lives

Saturday, October 23rd, 2010

An individual doesn’t need to be a doctor or other medical professional in order to operate a defibrillator, a computerized piece of medical equipment capable of measuring a person’s heart rhythm in order to know if electrical shock must be applied to stimulate the heart muscle. But proper defibrillator training is necessary in order to know how to use a defibrillator safely and effectively in order to save a life.

There are manual defibrillators, semiautomatic models as well as the latest technology known as AED (automated external defibrillators). Defibrillator training on an AED takes only a few hours. The American Heart Association can direct an individual to a certified defibrillator training course in the area, and some community colleges and fire department first aid corps also offer classes to private individuals. The AHA is responsible for training an average of 250,000 individuals annually in proper defibrillator training.

Defibrillator training consists of classroom theory regarding unexpected episodes of cardiac arrest , proper resuscitation techniques and the techniques for properly operating a defibrillator, as well as participating in several hands-on training scenarios in order to know how this device works in action. In a defibrillator training course, the emergency situation is simulated but as close to the real thing as possible in order for students to learn how to react in a life-threatening emergency where time is of the essence. The main purpose of defibrillator training is to not only give the individual the technical know-how of how to use the device properly but also the confidence to take charge in an emergency situation in which a defibrillator may be necessary to save an individual’s life following a heart attack or other trauma requiring an electrical charge to restart the heartbeat. In a defibrillator training course, students go through a variety of simulated emergency situations in order to gain confidence in recognizing an emergency situation and then following through with the proper techniques involving defibrillator usage.

The sophisticated defibrillator devices in use today may require thorough training in order to become familiar with the voice and text prompts given by the machine, but they are invaluable in making the determination if a shock must be administered rather than leaving it up to the defibrillator operator. Training helps the operator know exactly where the pads must be positioned on the body so that when the defibrillator administers the shock it will do the most good without harming either the operator or the patient.

Ideally, defibrillator training should be paired with training in CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) since at the first sign of heart attack, CPR techniques are usually administered first, then the defibrillator device is employed if necessary, eventually resuming the CPR technique once again until medical help arrives.

Shopping malls, airports and sports arenas are just some of the places where defibrillators are being positioned as life saving emergency equipment. Time is of the essence when someone’s heart has stopped and they need emergency assistance. Because response time from local fire rescue teams can be minutes away, an individual who has taken a defibrillator training course and knows how to use a defibrillator device properly and effectively could help save an individual’s life in addition to preventing brain damage if left unassisted until medical help arrives.

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