Every now and then throughout history, a medical machine or device evolves to a point where it can greatly impact the health and well-being of mankind. The automated external defibrillator is one such device. In the last few years, due to advancements in design and technology, the popularity of these devices has grown exponentially.
Not long ago these devices were only used by trained professionals such as doctors and ambulance crews. Back then the smallest defibrillator was large, heavy and technically hard to use ? and it was potentially very dangerous to the operator.
The main function of the defibrillator is to restart the heart of someone suffering cardiac arrest. But given that victims usually die within five minutes of the attack, and given that the average time it takes an ambulance to reach the site of an emergency situation is at least nine minutes, most victims used to die before help reached them.
Enter a new breed of defibrillator.
Thanks to electronics miniaturization plus major advances in cardiac research, external defibrillators have become smaller (about the size of a baseball mitt), relatively inexpensive (you can pick one up for well under $1500), much safer, and far easier to use. Not to mention the fact that they now even more effective.
In fact, many AED's on the market today can be used by someone with no previous medical training. This is because the defibrillator can assess whether or not the victim is in need of defibrillation, and if so, will audibly and visually guide the operator through the entire process of defibrillation.
The way they work are: the defibrillator will first test and determine if defibrillation is even necessary. Two paddles (electrodes) are then placed on the victim's torso after a gel is applied to reduce electrical impedance. An electrical shock is then administered through the body to the heart. This is repeated if necessary until the heart begins beating again naturally and synchronously.
How well do they work? Your chances of surviving sudden cardiac arrest are less than 5% if a defibrillator is not used within a few minutes of the event. Conversely, if a defibrillator is on hand you will have an over 90% chance of survival.
Automated external defibrillators are showing up in public and private places at an ever-increasing rate. This can only be a good thing since only a small percentage of people suffer cardiac arrest in a fully equipped medical facility.
Currently the only defibrillator you can buy without a prescription is the Philips Heart Start. With a prescription there are more choices available. So whether you're in the home or the office, an RV or boat, I say, let's get one and live a safer life.
Concerning refibrillation, Stults and Brown carried out a research and 271 cases in ventricular fibrillation were studied. These 271 patients were assisted by EMT-Ds without being supported by paramedics. The EMTs succeeded to render the heart rhythm to normal for 111 patients. 19 (17%) of the 271 patients refibrillated before the arrival at the hospital, and 11 out of the 19 were brought back to having normal cardiac rhythm. For the 111 patients that were rehabilitated, the admission rates were 53%. This is a low number compared to the 73% admission rate for the patients who did not refibrillate. The discharge rates were almost similar 37% for those who refibrillated and 35% for those who did not.
The research has also shown the fact that the times of transportation from the scene of the incident to the hospital did not influence the frequency of the refibrillation or the survival rate. However, this research has proven that the defibrillation-trained EMTs can successfully deal with refibrillation even if there are no paramedics assisting their work.
Another study has observed the incidence and time course of refibrillation and the survival rate. This study has been done on 49 adults that were administrated the Basic Life Support treatment (BLS). 44% of the patients received cardiopulmonary resuscitation. On average, the first shock was administrated after 6.1 minutes after the occurrence of the cardiac arrest. 61% of the patients refibrillated under BLS treatment, 35% of which more than once. The BLS treatment was associated with survival at discharge and neurological outcome the percentage being 41%. This study proves that refibrillation does not always mean survival to hospital discharge - however, it might indicate higher chances of survival for patients.
Studies in AED and EMT using manual defibrillation were conducted to determine whether there are differences in time to defibrillation. For AEDs usage 1 minute was needed, while for the manual defibrillation done by EMTs, 2 minutes were required.
Bocka has proven in a study that people using automatic external defibrillators were 30 seconds quicker than people using semiautomatic device. Early Seattle studies found a significant difference in time to defibrillation: 1.1 minutes for AEDs versus 2 minutes for EMTs with manual defibrillators. Bocka found that EMTs using fully automatic defibrillators in the field were on average 30 seconds faster than counterparts using semiautomatic devices. These studies show that having an AED at hand at all times is clearly an advantage and therefore, must be prioritized.
Both Graham Hobbs & Mike Rad are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Graham Hobbs has sinced written about articles on various topics from Heart Conditions, Health and web development. Graham Hobbs is a successful Webmaster and publisher. Visit his . It covers all you'll ever need to know about. Graham Hobbs's top article generates over 6600 views. to your Favourites.
Mike Rad has sinced written about articles on various topics from Games, Health and Home. More resources from the author: . Mike Rad's top article generates over 74000 views. to your Favourites.