The Use of Automated External Defibrillators Can Save Many Lives

June 22, 2010 - PRLog -- With heart disease being the number one cause of death in the United States, there are medications and devices to help eliminate this devastating killer. So many people in this country suffer from some form of cardiovascular disease and there are many different forms of this disease.

Sudden cardiac arrest causes many of these deaths. The main cause of sudden cardiac arrest is ventricular fibrillation which is an abnormal heart rhythm. When this happens it stops the blood flow to the brain, vital organs, and cells. Immediate help is needed to restore normal heart rhythm. This is when automatic external defibrillators, also known as AEDs, are vital in doing the job. When patients in the hospital suffer with this fibrillation, they are treated with the defibrillation right away and they can survive. If a person who is at home, or anywhere other than a hospital setting suffers the abnormal rhythms they can die without defibrillation. Each minute that the ventricular fibrillation is allowed to happen lessens the chance of resuscitation by approximately 10 percent. If it reaches 10 minutes, the chance is usually gone.

Fortunately, back in the 1980s, the automated external defibrillators came into play in saving lives outside the hospital environment. The device itself can read the person's heart rhythm and if it becomes abnormal it can automatically perform a defibrillation shock with very little assistance by the operator. The automated external defibrillators were first used by EMS professionals and in ambulances so that the patient could be revived before he even reached the hospital. This alone saved many lives because of the fast response being less than 10 minutes.

Another step in the use of automated external defibrillators became the public access defibrillation, also known as PAD. It was found that the proper use of these automated external defibrillators was easily taught and easily performed by the general public. In some public places, there are actual automated external defibrillators mounted on a wall that a person can use if someone is suffering from a cardiac arrest. Such locations could be an airport, a train station, shopping mall or other busy locations. However, different states have different rules about the use of these automated external defibrillators. They may request more formal training among other reasons. But the use of these defibrillators by anyone that can save a life is really the important purpose of the PADs.

The AED only needs to be turned on by a simple ON button. A computerized voice will guide you on how to operate the defibrillator. Electrode pads are included with the defibrillator that needs to be placed on the patient's chest and the AED voice will direct on where they need to be placed. Sometimes the pads' connectors need to be plugged in to the AED, and the voice will also direct you if and when this is necessary.

The defibrillator will immediately check the person's heart rhythm and will consider the need for the shock. Never touch the person while the machine is working because it can alter the reading. If the defibrillator decides the shock is necessary, the voice will tell you when to press the indicated button to send the shock. After the shock is complete, the machine will instruct you to perform CPR.

It is the goal that automated external defibrillators will be as common as fire extinguishers in public places so that more people will have the chance to survive a cardiac arrest.

For more information about the use of automated external defibrillators then please visit http://www.americanaed.com.