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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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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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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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Zoll AED Plus Training Video

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

Training video for going over how to use a Zoll AED Plus defibrillator. This is a usefull video for showing how to use the Zoll Medical Aed Plus. It goes over voice prompts and basic CPR functions. Shows how first time users can use an AED to save lives inthe event of Cardiac Arrest

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Defibtech Lifeline – Voice Prompts

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

This video will show you and allow you to hear what the voice prompts sound like from a Defibtech LifeLine AED. These voice prompts are from the training unit but are exactly the same as the fully functional LifeLine AED.

A Defibrillator is a life saving device that is used in the event of sudden cardiac arrest. Most public access defibrillators can be used with little or no training. This video shows how easy it can be to use the Lifeline AED if it is needed.

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