CPR Defibrillators Info
The How to of Defibrillators
Archive for the ‘cardiac defibrillators’ Category
What is V-Tach? An arrhythmia called ventricular tachycardia, which starts in the ventricles of your heart. It causes an increased pulse rate of 100 beats per minute or more and is very dangerous is left untreated.
This condition can occur before or after a heart attack. It can occur in people with heart problems,such as heart valve disorders,myocarditis (inflamation of the heart muscle),heart failure, or heart surgery.
It can be caused by anti-arrhythmic medications,changes in blood chemistry (low potassium levels),changes in the acid-base balance,or lack of oxygen.
Symptoms are fainting, chest discomfort, dizziness, palpitations(sensation of feeling the heart beat), and shortness of breath. Symptoms may stop or start suddenly and in some cases there are no symptoms.
This is a major cause of cardiac death. Signs include: absent pulse,loss of consciousness,normal or low blood pressure, and rapid pulse.
Treatment is based on symptoms and type of heart disorder.Some people don’t require treatment. Those with emergency situations may require CPR(cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) or cardiac defibrillation to convert the irregular heart rhythm. A cardiac defibrillator will produce a shock to the victim to restart the heart and put it in normal sinus rhythm.
Anti- arrhythmic drugs can be prescribed for treatment long term, a proceedure called ablation can be performed to obliterate abnormal pathways in the heart which cause this, or an internal cardioverter/defibrillator can be implanted in the heart to give mild shocks automatically when V-tach occurs in order to stop it.
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The Zoll, Philips, and Defibtech defibrillators 
all have the latest technology. It is called biphasic defibrillation. What does this mean to me? Nothing! So I decided to investigate.
In 1947 Dr. Claude Beck made the first successful defibrillation on a human using metal paddles. He used alternating current. In the late 1950′s direct current was used, which was called monophasic or uniphasic (meaning one wave)waveform energy.
The uniphasic waveform used a single burst of current between 200 and 360 joules to be passed through the torso for a second. Even though it could restore normal heart rhythm, it could take several shocks to do it. Repeating the shocks at a higher energy can cause skin burns and heart muscle damage.
Biphasic defibrillation current travels from paddle to paddle and then in the other direction.The shock is slightly longer but still less than a second. It requires less energy to restore normal heart rhythm. There is evidence that this reduces skin burns and cellular damage to the heart.
So look for biphasic waveform on the defibrillator model you decide to buy. Do your homework!
The Koreans have studied defibrillator performance in ambulances traveling over bumpy roads, planes and ships.
Planes and ships have smooth rides and the defibrillators work fine by appropiately analyzing heart rhythms that needed a shock defibrillation. However, ambulances driving on bumpy roads proved that defibrillators have poor performance in detecting a rhythm disturbance due to the vibrations of the vehicle going over bumps.
Using a defibrillator in a moving ambulance could undersense or fail to recommend a shock when one was needed. The president of the Heart Rhythm Society, Dr. Richard Page, said that defibrillation in ambulances is rare.
The studies done by the Koreans included testing manequins in a moving ambulance,a study of manequins with simulated road vibrations and a study of 6 domesticated pigs with vibrations designed to simulate transport conditions.
At speeds of 12-62 MPH paved roads, unpaved roads at 6MPH the devices accurately picked up the rhythms in the manequins. The pigs had simulated cardiac arrest events while using vibrations similar to those in the first test.
The devices misinterpreted many heart rhythms, more often in pigs than manequins in this part of their study.
Spokesman Ian Race, of Philips said many factors can impact the quality of a ECG signal read by a defibrillator, including the degree of contact with the patient’s skin and motion.
Dr. Page suggested you pull over to the side of the road and try again!
Defibtech Auto , the latest design from Defibtech defibrillators, takes the stress away from responders reluctant to puch the shock button. 
The defibrillator does it for you…if you need it. They have just sent their first shipment to Europe. DefibFrance is the first distributor to add the Defibtech Auto to their product line. Other European distributors will soon be getting this defibrillator themselves.
Imagine, a self analyzing defibrillator that automaticall sends a shock to the victim. All we have to do is place the device on the victim.
Fifty-one year old Richard Hannah was installing a new fire alarm system at the Peaks Resort when he collapsed from a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). The Director of security, a trained first responder, saved Hannah’s life. Hannah was stabilized and taken to the Telluride Medical Center where he woke up 5 days later. He had a stint placed after doctors acertained that his arteries were 50% blocked.
This community is a “heart smart” one. They have 32 public AEDs to save a life. The AEDs were financed through a grant from the Telluride Foundation and the Telluride Association of Realtors. It cost $40,000 for the AEDs and yearly cost $3,000 to maintain them.
Each and every life is precious. Wether to family, friends, or just a member of the human race our humanity is precious to our Maker.What a blessing to get a second chance!
Hooray for the Floyd County Police Department! They received 68 automated external defibrillators from an HRSA grant worth $144,000 from the Georgia Department of Community Health in Rome. Redmond Regional Medical Center EMS employees provided training in Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation to all the officers.
The goal is to cut response time of defibrillation in a cardiac arrest and prevent brain damage by getting oxygen to the brain quicker. Police are sometimes the first responders.The EMS Centers, Floyd and Redmond, will be giving the public educational seminars on the early warning signs of heart attacks and strokes during February.
Arizona lawmakers introduced a bill to exempt good samaritans from civil liability if they use an automated external defibrillator. Senator Andy Nichols D-Tucson died of a cardiac arrest in 2001 in the Senate building. Defibrillators then became installed in the Senate building to prevent more sudden cardiac arrests. The defibrillators are easy to use with verbal instructions. They provide a shock to those in a cardiac arrest. The American Heart Association study says over 500 persons have had their lives saved in the United States and Canada with an AED. Arizona law exempts medical professionals and those trained on an AED from liability.
Twenty-five AEDs (automated external defibrillators) were donated by Defibtech to Maine schools. Cardiac arrest occurs in more than 250,000 people, young and old causing sudden death. Those lucky enough to have rescuers on hand or the use of a cardiac defibrillator increase their chances of survival greatly. 70% of victims defibrillated within 1-2 minutes of an arrest survive.
The Rural Access to Emergency Devices (Rural AED) Act was co-sponsored by Senator Russell Feingold(D-Wi) and Senator Susan Collins(R-Me )to allow responders access to AEDs in rural communities. Over 600 AEDs have been distributed throughout Maine. They have been given to police, fire, EMS departments; to dental and medical clinics,schools, parks ,colleges,libraries and museums.This stems from a 17 year old, Adam Lemel, who died of a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA)while playing basketball at school.The senators also passed a resolution that the first week in June be designated as “National Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and AED Awareness Week.”
First Night is our city’s (Worcester,Ma.) New Year’s celebration. It consists of concerts,open houses to museums,art galleries,historical houses,musicales,and fireworks at the end of the night. Buses take people free of charge up and around the city to their destination. all events are at specific time and transportation rotates accordingly. Restaurants are open for meals, snacks or beverages. The night is usually cold and the bon homie is contagious. People are so friendly the joy and laughter is infectious.
Some of the events get large groups in attendance. The down side of this is that people walk to their scheduled event and get out of breath. Needless to say stress can play an important part in putting a damper on the festivities. The EMS gets its share of chest pain patients. We have an excellent Emergency system with many nearby hospitals. The ambulances are fully equipped with the latest cardiac defibrillators and communication systems.We recommend that if you come to join us, plan your night wisely. Dress warm, don’t plan too many events to rush to, and take time to rest and enjoy the New Year to come. Happy New Year 2010!
Unless someone has undergone significant medical training, it can be difficult to stay cool and collected in the face of a medical emergency. Cardiac arrest can occur at any time without warning, and that’s why advanced preparation is always the best bet for increasing the odds of survival. First responders are charged with the task of calling for help and immediately doing all they can to stabilize a cardiac arrest sufferer.
There’s no denying that time is of the essence. The longer a person goes without blood flow to the brain, the greater the chances of permanent death. First responders must make use of a cardiac defibrillator within a few minutes of witnessing the cardiac arrest episode. Still, panicking won’t do anyone any good. It’s best to work with slow, deliberate assurance when using an AED.