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Defibrillators in Public Places Increase Survival Rates

Thursday, May 19th, 2011

Many years ago, if a person had a heart attack and was in a public place, the results could be devastating if emergency medical treatment was not provided in time. Whether the person would make it or not was simply a coin toss up, depending on how severe the heart attack was.

Luckily, many public places now have portable defibrillators available in case of a medical emergency. This has drastically decreased the number of deaths that occur in public places. Malls, community centers, airports, and other large places where large numbers of people pass through are now making defibrillators available for public use. Finding a defibrillator in a public place is now as common as finding a fire extinguisher.

Automatic External Defibrillators have long been used by medical professionals to shock a person’s heart and re-set the heart rhythm back to a normal rate. Commonly referred to as AEDs, defibrillators are portable devices that deliver a shock to the heart, and are made to recognize abnormal heart rhythms.

Receiving training and certification to use a defibrillator is easy to obtain, and the American Heart Association offers training along with CPR certification. Using a defibrillator is actually easier than performing CPR, so medical experts as well as the American Heart Association actually recommend that people use a defibrillator before trying CPR. Performing CPR can immediately help regain a normal blood pressure and flow, but it’s even more important to restore a normal heart rate through the use of a defibrillator. Since these are so easy to use, it is extremely wise for public places to carry a defibrillator. Not only are they simple to use and lightweight, they also have extremely high success rates.

Now commonly found in public places, the average person can now save a life in places like schools, malls, and airports. Almost anyone can operate a defibrillator, as all it requires is that you turn it on by moving the lid, and then follow the voice instructions that come directly from the defibrillator. Each step is instructed by the defibrillator, telling the person what to do, including when it is time to stop and start CPR. In the event of a medical emergency, one should always call 9-1-1, but using a defibrillator can help save a life while waiting on medical responders to arrive.

The American Heart Association states that 294,851 of 9-1-1 calls are made each year for cardiac arrest. If more people know how to use a defibrillator, they could be saving a life. A person who is experiencing some sort of heart failure has a better chance of surviving when they are revived within the first four minutes, meaning that having access to a defibrillator in a public place increases the chance of survival more than anything else that could be done.

Although medical responders try to reach medical emergencies quickly, public places that carry portable defibrillators are helping to insure that a life has a better chance of being saved.

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Posted in Defibrillator News, Defibrillator Training, Defibrillators

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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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Public Fear of Defibrillators Could Cost Lives

Wednesday, May 4th, 2011

Thanks to popular medical dramas such as Grey’s Anatomy, House, and the late ER, we are all vaguely familiar with defibrillators. However, there is still a lot of fear and misinformation about defibrillators, which results in reluctance on behalf of the public to use them. In fact, a research study published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine surveyed 978 passengers from 38 countries in Amsterdam’s Central Station found that nearly half of respondents (43%) were unfamiliar with defibrillators and as such would not use one on someone experiencing cardiac arrest. Common reasons included:

-Lack of training
-Lack of familiarity with AED’s
-Fear of harming the victim
-Fear of being held legally liable for a poor outcome

However, defibrillators can save lives. Most people who experience sudden cardiac arrest die within minutes, and survival rates decrease for each minute that a person is left untreated. During a sudden cardiac episode, the heart stops beating and blood and oxygen are not delivered to the brain and other organs. Therefore, early detection and intervention by bystanders is crucial while waiting for emergency medical services (EMS) to arrive.

Now that the importance of defibrillators has been established, it is important to refute some of the misconceptions associated with defibrillators. The first misconceptions are lack of training and lack of familiarity with AED’s. Often times, we see only trained medical professionals on TV using defibrillators, whereas, the layperson is limited to using CPR. This sends a message defibrillators are complicated devices that only a trained professional can use. However, there are defibrillators available for laypeople to use. These are called automated external defibrillators, or AED’s. The name of an AED is self-explanatory; the defibrillator checks the victim’s pulse and determines if a shock is needed and how much. All the administrator needs to do is:

-Make sure the person is in a safe, dry location
-Turn on the AED
-Attach the pads, or electrodes
-Follow the directions to defibrillate or administer CPR where appropriate

Additionally, CPR was once a feared procedure. However, thanks to cartoons showing characters performing CPR, many children have been able to save a friend or family member from merely witnessing it on TV. If children can successfully administer CPR, surely an adult can use an AED to save a life as well.

Another fear that holds people back from administering AED’s is fear of harming the victim and legal liability for a poor outcome. Witnessing an individual have a sudden cardiac episode is a terrifying and stressful situation, and finding an unconscious and unresponsive person is no less so. Often times, people can feel helpless in these situations, and believe that they are powerless to do anything to help. However, it is more harmful not to render aid in cases of cardiac arrest, as the victim could die while waiting for EMS to arrive. Although it is unlikely, there are Good Samaritan Laws in all 50 United States protecting the layperson from liability if there is a poor outcome.

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Posted in Cardiac Arrest, 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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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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Three Things Everyone Should Know about Portable Defibrillators

Thursday, March 24th, 2011

The first thing to note about portable defibrillators is that these devices have been technologically improved to be used by anyone when a person has a cardiac arrest. The device can be carried anywhere and this is the sole reason why it can be bought in online shops or retail stores. The main thing to focus on when buying a portable defibrillator is quality. The defibrillator needs to be in good condition because emergency cases arise anytime of the day or night. This means that a person who has a sick child or spouse needs to carry out a thorough research on the Internet for the best portable defibrillators. The sites selling these devices much have testimonials from previous clients who have bought and used them. A portable defibrillator is moderately expensive because this device has been improved to be used by anyone who has a relative or friend with a heart condition. It is worth its price because a defibrillator at home will help save a life as compared to calling for emergency help which will arrive minutes or hours later.

The second thing people should know about portable defibrillators is that they do not work without human operation. This means that the device will not implement itself when a patient is down on the floor with a heart attack. While buying a portable defibrillator, a person should also acquire CPR skills or find someone who already has the required skills. If a child has a heart condition, the parents should learn how to use the device so that when an emergency case occurs, they have an instant response. Elderly people living at home should find someone who can help them when one is experiencing a heart attack. This means that a person must squat down and put the device on top of the patient. Operating the device is the most important thing after buying it. Some people have a history of heart condition and this calls for a device that has to be ready at any moment because anyone in the family can have a heart attack.

A portable defibrillator uses batteries and this makes the feature or portability effective. The device can be carried to school, at work or even when traveling. The best portable defibrillators have a good battery life and it is very important to buy a device that does not have battery defects. Checking out reviews about the product on different websites will give you the absolute knowledge for the best portable defibrillator with a good battery. A portable defibrillator is used hands free and this means that when a patient has a heart attack, the device is attached to the patient’s chest and then an audio-prompt alerts the operator when a pulse has been detected. The device has buttons where you can push after the alert and use your hands to make emergency calls while the defibrillator is working. Heart patients are not only adults but also kids. This means that you can purchase a defibrillator for small children and also for adults.

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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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Three Things You Should Know Post-Cardiac Arrest

Tuesday, March 1st, 2011

The most important factor following cardiac arrest is the quality of after care. After care should include proper use of medication, extreme monitoring of blood pressure, keeping blood sugar levels in normal range and making sure that cholesterol levels are carefully observed. Immediately after cardiac arrest, patients will be hooked up to an electrocardiogram for constant monitoring.

If there are underlying conditions such as diabetes, other precautions need to be followed to prevent further complications. There are three things that you should know that could contribute to death following cardiac arrest: 1) brain injury-caused by lack of oxygen 2) heart dysfunction-abnormal heartbeat or arrhythmia 3) inflammation of arteries or veins-high cholesterol may cause a heart attack where an immediate artery-opening procedure called angioplasty is required. In the event of arrhythmia, many patients also need to have a defibrillator implanted.

Brain injury occurs when there is a cessation of blood flow to the brain, as in the case when a victim falls into unconsciousness following cardiac arrest. That is why post cardiac care begins with immediate medical intervention to ensure that there isn’t any permanent neurological damage.

A defibrillator is an electronic device that is used to shock the heart following cardiac arrest. When cardiac arrest is caused by arrhythmia the device corrects the pattern of irregular heartbeats and returns the heart’s rhythm back to regular beats. When a patient suffers cardiac arrest- the heart is under attack, it beats out of rhythm. Under normal circumstances, the beat of the heart is controlled by an electrical sequence that signals the correct rhythm in the right atrium. The defibrillator is used to restore normal contraction rhythms, after cardiac arrest the heart is no longer capable of maintaining normal contractions- it delivers shock-waves directly to the heart.

It should be noted that a defibrillator is not the same as a pacemaker. It can be used in conjunction with a pacemaker when the heart no longer functions correctly. Patients with certain conditions such as coronary artery disease or congestive heart failure are the ones who benefit the most from a defibrillator. There are many health conditions which require that patient have a defibrillator implanted to prevent future cardiac episodes. Coronary artery or heart disease is a leading cause of all deaths related to cardiac arrest.

Cardiac arrest causes an interruption in blood flow to the heart. It’s characterized by the need to increased circulatory support by trained medical personnel immediately following the attack. Medical emergency treatment involves the use of a defibrillator to shock the heart back into rhythm, it’s critical in instances involving a loss of consciousness. The defibrillator is used to shock the heart until a rhythm is present. If medical efforts fail and heart beats are not re-established and there is no present after defibrillation and CPR, there is nothing else that can be done medically for the patient.

Research has shown that receiving immediate medical intervention and post cardiac care improves the chances of recovery and survival following cardiac arrest.

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Posted in Cardiac Arrest, Heart Disease

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What You Should Know about Heart Disease

Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

Heart disease refers to conditions that affect the heart such as congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure, heart attack and coronary heart disease. It is also the leading cause of death for women and men within the United States. There are many ways to prevent heart disease such as exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, lowering high blood pressure, lowering the cholesterol, and quitting smoking.

Symptoms of Heart Disease

There are many types of heart disease, each with its own set of symptoms although many share similar warning signs. The type of symptoms a person who has a heart disease experiences is dependent upon the severity of the heart condition. An individual should notify their doctor immediately when they experience new symptoms or the symptoms become more severe or frequent.

1. Coronary Artery Disease-A common symptom that individual experience when having coronary artery disease is chest pain or angina. Angina is associated with painful, squeezing, fullness, burning, aching, pressure, heaviness, or an uncomfortable feeling of the chest area. Many have mistaken these symptoms for heartburn or indigestion. Typically Angina is experience through the chest area but other areas that can be affected are the back, jaw, throat, neck, arms, or shoulders. Additional symptoms include:

• Dizziness or weakness
• Queasiness
• Irregular heartbeats
• Sweat
• Labored breathing

2. Heart Attack-Symptoms of a heart attack usually last 30 minutes or more and are not relived by the use of oral medications or rest. Some people can have a heart attack without symptoms and sometimes when symptoms do occur, they can begin with mild discomfort and develop into severe pain. Some symptoms include:

• Pain, heaviness, pressure, or discomfort below the breastbone, in the arm, or chest area
• Discomfort that comes from the arm, throat or back
• Choking feeling, indigestion, or fullness
• Dizziness, vomiting, nausea, or sweating
• Irregular or rapid heartbeats
• Shortness of breath, anxiety, or significant weakness

An Individual who has had a serious experience with abnormal fast heart rhythm or for those at risk at having one may need something referred to as an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. This devise also known as AICD or automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator is used by doctors in order to fix and watch for heart rhythms that is life threatening. The defibrillator is implanted by a physician, under the skin, typically underneath the left collarbone area. The device is connected to the heart by a wire that is threaded through a large vein.

The defibrillator works by monitoring the heart continuously. If a life threatening heart rhythm is detected, it will send an electric shock to the heart and restore normal heart rhythm. The defibrillator will then go back to its regular monitoring mode.

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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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Posted in CPR, Defibrillator Training

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