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Why Cardiac Arrest Survival Odds are Better in Public Places

Tuesday, May 24th, 2011

Cardiac arrest is when the heart ceases to function. A heart attack, which is the blockage of a vessel supplying a heart muscle, can cause the heart to stop. But nearly 80% of cardiac arrests are not caused by a heart attack. Instead, they are what EMT’s call “shockable arrests.” That is when the heart’s electrical signals have gone haywire, but can be reset by the delivery of a powerful electric shock. Most people die within minutes from cardiac arrest; the survival rate is an abysmal eight percent. But an individual’s chance to recover is significantly higher if the arrest occurs in public. That’s because people trained in CPR, meaning cardiopulmonary resuscitation, are more likely to be around. Better yet the little machine designed to provide that critical electric shock could be nearby, too. Minutes and even seconds are critical in rescuing somebody from cardiac arrest.

“Shockable Arrests”

Electrical signals from the brain tell the heart when to beat. Similar to the action of a timing belt, these signals control which parts of the heart does its job and when. For a variety of reasons, the heart goes into what’s called ventricular tachycardia or VT. This is when the heart goes into hyper-drive, beating from 120 to over 200 times a minute. A normal heart rate at rest is 60 to 80 beats per minute. The lower heart chambers, or ventricles, begin to beat blood out faster than they can fill. If VT continues, the heart can then advance to deadly VF, or ventricle fibrillation. VF is when the ventricles can only twitch uselessly, stopping the blood flow to the brain. This is the point of no return. Unless electric shock is applied within less than five minutes, asystole, better known as flat line, follows. Usually after then even electric shock has no effect because the heart has died. If cardiac arrest happens at home, chances are slim that machine and those trained people are available.

Automated External Defibrillator

That little machine is a godsend to people who have gone into VF. Designed to be used by anybody able to follow a few brief directions, the automated external defibrillator, or AED, delivers that critical shock to restore normal rhythm. Leads are simply and easily attached to the chest. They then inform the machine if indeed the heart has arrested and it it’s because of VF. If it determines the need for shock it can be delivered immediately. The shock actually stops the heart completely. It then rests momentarily before it hopefully resumes beating at a more normal rhythm. The AED can confirm this.

These life-saving machines are found in more and more locations every day. They’re in many places; airports, office buildings, restaurants, courthouses, schools and even bars are stocking them. There’s good reason for this. More than a third of people who suffer cardiac arrest in public and treated with an AED survived. That’s much better odds than the national average of only eight percent.

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

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Recovering From a Heart Attack

Tuesday, May 17th, 2011

Recovering from a heart attack may take two or three months. You may only be in the hospital for a week, perhaps even less, but it may take a while before you can return to all the activities you were involved with before your attack.

Many hospitals and other medical facilities will provide rehabilitation programs to help educate you on steps you need to take in recovering from your heart attack. The chances of a future attack for some are lessened by a third by implanting a pager-sized defibrillator which will check for abnormal beats and zap the heart back to normal if necessary. Former Vice President Dick Cheney has had just such a defibrillator in him.

The cardiac rehabilitation programs provide exercise programs to many heart attack victims to aid in recovery and prevent future attacks. The programs will also show you how to lessen the stress in your life, teach you how to recognize if you might need further treatments, the proper diet for you, about sexual activity, and additional issues a heart attack victim might face. Such programs may also give you the chance to talk about with other heart attack victims about what you are feeling and how your life has been affected.

All of these issues will be important in your recovering from a heart attack. How long your personal recovery will take will depend on what your daily activities were previously, how severe your attack was, and how your body has responded. Keeping stress out of your life will quicken the pace of your recovery from the heart attack. Avoiding extremely hot or cold temperatures will hasten your recovery as well.

Doctors say heart attack victims need to take a look at their lives. Of course, smokers should quit smoking. It is important to begin an exercise program recommended by your doctor. You may have to make changes to your diet. Some people may even need to consider whether they need to make changes in their jobs. You will need to take all medications you doctor has recommended at the prescribed times. If changes are not made, there will be a greater chance of a future attack.

Additional procedures may be necessary to avoid future attacks. These can include additional medications you are not yet taking, bypass surgery, and percutaneous coronary interventions.

The use of a defibrillator may also lessen your chances of another heart attack. While 250,000 people have a heart attack annually while not in a hospital, and more than 90 percent of such people die, a defibrillator may prevent many such deaths. Some doctors estimate two to three million people could be helped by a defibrillator.

While a defibrillator may cost $20,000, and the total cost of a night’s hospital stay, surgery to install the device, and receiving a defibrillator can cost $40,000 to $60,000, higher demand could drive costs down.

The good news is, if you have had a heart attack, there are things that can be done to prevent another one.

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Posted in Cardiac Arrest, Defibrillators, Heart Disease, Implantable Defibrillators, Survival Stories

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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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Posted in Defibrillator News, Defibrillator Training, Defibrillators, Survival Stories

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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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What you Need to Know about AEDs

Wednesday, March 30th, 2011

A defibrillator is a device that sends short electric shocks directly to the heart, enabling the heart to gain control and reset its pace to a normal rhythm. A defibrillator can be used externally or be implanted depending on what it is needed for. Generally, external defibrillators are most commonly used in health facilities, such as hospitals and ambulances.

AEDs regulate heart rhythms, and even those who have no medical training can easily use them, often without any training at all. They are in fact so easy to use that many states of the U.S. include a law under the Good Samaritan laws about “good faith” use of an AED by any person. One AED model, an “automatic operation” model, is extremely user friendly. To use this model, one simply opens the lid and follows the voice commands. Software in the AED will analyze the person’s heart rate and decide whether to employ a biphasic shock into the heart, which will attempt to restore the heart’s natural rhythm. There are many AED programs that offer free training and certification that complies with state laws and American Heart Association guidelines, providing a two year certification card upon completion of the course.

There are more advanced AEDs being made, such as manual and semi-automatic defibrillators. The more advanced AEDs are most often used by medical professionals. If a patient is experiencing bradycardia (when a heart rate is too slow), a manual or semi-automatic defibrillator can function like a pacemaker would.

AEDs are generally very lightweight and easy to carry, making them a good option for the elderly or those that are very ill.

Automated External Defibrillators, commonly known as AEDs, are now being used in places other than medical facilities because they’re becoming cheaper and safer for the general public to utilize. Some AED models can even be bought as cheaply as $1000. It’s now common to see an Automated External Defibrillator in large public places, like convention centers, health clubs, and airports, being available for people to use in the event of an emergency. Many schools, churches, businesses and offices even carry an AED in case someone goes into cardiac arrest. Some organizations and health professionals recommend that every household, car, and business has an AED available for medical emergencies. Many medical experts even now recommend that an AED be used before CPR in the event that someone’s heart stops beating or if a person experiences an abnormal heartbeat. Generally, using an AED is easier than properly performing CPR, and often using an AED has better results.

Keeping an AED in one’s home or business is a very wise idea, and doing so is becoming as common as having a fire extinguisher. AEDs have saved many lives, so investing in one is well worth it. Search online for an AED or talk to a medical professional to determine what kind of AED to purchase, taking who it may be used on in consideration, as it may save their life.

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Posted in Cardiac Arrest, Defibrillators, Heart Disease, Survival Stories

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Benefits of Having Portable Defibrillator in Your Community

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011

At any given moment a person you are walking behind can collapse in front of you. Will you be prepared to assist someone who is dying right in front of your eyes? Are you even aware of the box with the lightning bolt or big red letters ‘AED’ hanging on the wall?

In your community there should be AED’s. They are a device which delivers a shock of electricity specifically to the heart. If none are available, contact your local government and petition for AED’s. These devices are vital to the survival of a cardiac arrest. Every 4 seconds someone in the United States has a cardiac arrest. The odds of someone you know experiencing a heart attack this year are great. Rural communities who endure complications from understaffed EMS systems and elongated travel times to cardiac hospitals desperately need AED’s.

Simplicity has been incorporated by the manufactures. You do not need to be a healthcare worker to use and potentially save someone’s life, on possibly the worst day of their life. There is no other alternative to making a difference. Defibrillators are a necessity at community sports centers, schools, and public buildings. Some areas have AED’s in the back of the police cruisers because they are just that vital for potentially surviving a cardiac arrest.

The defibrillator pads are placed on the victim’s chest, one on the upper right and one on the lower left towards the end of the rib cage. The machine then reads the electrical activity of the heart. If two specific rhythms are detected the machine will speak to you and tell you “shock advised.” Simplicity in a moment when the whole world has stopped while the emergency rages forward, with a voice which guides you through a situation you never can be totally prepared to deal with.

CPR is very important. The body needs oxygen so the wonderful mysteries of life can proceed. CPR is designed to step-in when the heart tries to step-out. Ventricular Fibrillation and Ventricular Tachycardia are the only shock-able rhythms. Ventricular Fibrillation is where the hearts cells which normally act as one unit start anarchy and decide to override each other. This creates a quivering of the heart and no blood can move throughout the body. Ventricular Tachycardia is similar though this is where the bottom half is firing off so fast that the heart cannot refill to push blood through the vessels. Electricity is the number one choice in emergency rooms and is available for your use if you have a defibrillator available to you. Get involved in your community and save a life. The benefits of having a portable defibrillator in your community could be a matter of life or death. Take the time to make a difference in your state.

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Knowledge of Defibrillation Could Save Lives

Monday, March 7th, 2011

There have been sad cases of marathoners suddenly falling while racing, sport cyclists falling off their bicycles and having a cardiac arrest. Students who play school sports either in High school or Universities suddenly fall on the ground and nobody knows what is wrong until a doctor pronounces them dead. People working late at night in restaurants and normal runners taking a moderate jog in the morning fall on sidewalks due to cardiac arrest all die because immediate response team did not know about portable defibrillators. All these cases would have been managed if bystanders had the knowledge needed to administer CPR and defibrillation within the first five minutes after the cardiac arrest.

The knowledge of defibrillation is very important and easy to apply. CPR alone and waiting for emergency personnel to arrive will not change the fact that a victim on the ground will barely make it after five minutes. In many cases where victims’ heart stopped suddenly, family and friends wished that somebody trained could have saved the victims’ lives.

The most incredible medical device that has been incorporated in the society to be used by anybody is a portable defibrillator. This device does not require technical skills to operate it and many people who have the knowledge of its existence can save a lot of lives. Arrhythmia and ventricular tachycardia are among the most dangerous heart conditions that cause cardiac arrest and death after a short while.

When the heart stops functioning, the other organs will shut down very fast and the brain being the major organ in the body that cannot be replaced, it will lack oxygen and also shut down leading to death. This occurs after a very short period of time of about five minutes if the heart does not restart. The most important thing to know is that a cardiac arrest victim is unconscious and everything that has to be done to save the life of this person has to be effective and fast.

The knowledge of how to use a defibrillator is very important. This can be taught to anybody and it does not require physical classes to be ready for an emergency. The first steps of emergency response are very simple which involves calling the emergency personnel and fetching the defibrillator. CPR should be done while another person is preparing the AED. A person who has collapsed due to a heart attack should be removed from a place that is damp or has water to prevent electrocution. Wire bracelets and necklaces should also be removed to prevent burns. The pads are labeled and the kit comes with very clear and simple instructions.

The defibrillator analyzes the rhythm of the heart and checks for a pulse that can be shocked. A person carrying out this procedure will perform easily because a voice command will request for a shock when needed to normalize the heart’s rhythm. Many lives will be saves and the end of a cardiac arrest will not be death if people have the basic knowledge of defibrillation and lifesaving skills.

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Posted in Cardiac Arrest, Defibrillators, Survival Stories

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Survival Rates Increase with Defibrillation

Monday, February 28th, 2011

Many people are familiar with ways to save a life with resuscitation. CPR is the method most people are familiar with. But when someone falls due to a heart attack or other life threatening problem many people reach directly for a defibrillator. A defibrillator is a machine that sends electrical currents into the body, resuscitating most importantly of all the heart. Many people have had success with this machine because it does its job very well, is easy to find and can be transported very simply. Defibrillators have saved countless lives and without them survival rates would be very low.

Many find that when someone falls ill with a heart problem, reaching for a defibrillator is the smartest plan of action, only after they become unresponsive. A defibrillator may not bring a person back from unconsciousness but simply buy time until qualified medical professionals arrive to take care of the victim. It is most important that the person using the defibrillator know when and how to use it. Regardless, survival rates have dramatically increased since the introduction of the defibrillator.

Most defibrillators are very easy to find, especially in places where high stress activities are performed. Defibrillators can also be bought for very little money, allowing anyone who has heart problems to obtain one very easily. Medical teams that are called to a scene of a medical emergency always carry one with them. Having a defibrillator nearby and accessible at all times allows the rate of survival to increase, saving more people’s lives in the process. Defibrillators being at close range allows people to be prepare should something unexpected happen to someone they know.

Defibrillators are designed to be light-weight and extremely effective. The entire product is encased in light-weight plastic with the vital components further inside. There are, of course, more complicated and intricate designs but the kind that is made out of plastic has shown to be more common and useful in that it can be moved easily in dire and stressful situations where immediate medical attention is needed. Defibrillators, being extremely light-weight and easy to move has led to a rise in survival rates and helped many people survive long enough to get medical attention before it is too late.

Many people are familiar with basic ways to resuscitate someone should they fall with a fatal problem. CPR is a very simple method most people are familiar with. But should someone fall with a heart problem that requires immediate medical attention it is sometimes best to reach directly for a defibrillator as it can save that person’s life. A defibrillator is a machine that sends electrical currents into the body, most specifically the heart. Many people have had success with this machine because it does its job very well, is easy to find and can be transported very simply. Defibrillators have saved countless lives and have vastly increased the survival rates.

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Are Defibrillators Necessary for High Schools?

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010
defibrillators save the lives of teens every year

Saved by a Defibrillator

What is a defibrillator?

Most of us have seen a television show or two where someone, completely untrained, slaps a few sticky pads on a lifeless body, powers up a machine and shocks that person right back to life. What you have witnessed isn’t a trick of the television, it is an actual machine called an Automated External Defibrillator or AED for short. This small piece of equipment is designed to allow laymen to provide lifesaving treatment to those suffering from various types of heart arrhythmia and heart attacks. It is slowly becoming commonplace in many businesses, schools and parks across the country. Still, many of us have never even seen one, let alone had the misfortune to need one.

This was pretty much the state of affairs at my high school last year. I attend a small, private school that is known for its inexpensive tuition rates. As a result, the administration is always struggling to provide the students with everything we need to get a first rate education. The ‘extras’ are often forgotten. Our gym teacher, who also doubles as the schools health adviser, had always included a week long CPR course for every gym class. Last year, she approached the school board about updating some of our equipment and requested funds for an AED. A long battle ensued, with many parents arguing that the money would be better spent on repaving the parking lot or purchasing new uniforms for the basketball team, after all, how many teenagers had heart attacks at school?

AED training

AED training can save lives

“I have a life because my coach used an AED”

The coach finally won and the unit was delivered in time for the start of the school year. There is sat, collecting dust, in her office, until the day it saved my life.

I had a heart attack during gym class, the very thing that all those parents said would never happen did. I died on the floor of my school gym and while several students ran to the office for help and two others rushed for their cell phones, my gym teacher raced to her office, grabbed the defibrillator and hooked me up. The machine did exactly what it is designed to do; it analyzed my condition, delivered the appropriate electrical current to me and got my heart beating again. The paramedics that arrived five minutes later told my parents that it had saved my life. We later discovered I suffered from a congenital heart defect.

Defibrillators in Schools

My point is this, while the likelihood of having to use an AED in a high school is slim, there are cases like mine where one simple machine can be the difference between life and death. If you are ever put in a position to offer an opinion about whether an Automated External Defibrillator should be purchased for your school, church or park, please remember my story. It can save a life! I will be forever grateful to the administration of my school for taking the time to understand how important a defibrillator is and for spending the money to purchase one.

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Posted in Defibrillator Training, Defibrillators, Survival Stories

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Defibrillator Saves 6 Year Old

Friday, August 7th, 2009

Emiliano Vela is one very lucky little boy. His life was saved thanks to the fact that his elementary school decided to have a defibrillator at their facilities. The decision by Casa Linda Elementary to have an AED on hand is becoming more typical across the country as the benefits of a defibrillator outweigh the costs involved. Kudos to Casa Linda Elementary and congratulations to Emiliano Vela and his vamily.

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