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What do you need to know about a portable home defibrillator?
1.What is a defibrillator?
This is a portable medical device which gives a mild electrical shock to the heart when someone experiences a cardiac arrest. It restarts the heart back into normal sinus rhythm.
2.Do you need one? 
Do you live with a spouse or family member with a family history of heart disease, Stroke, or hypertension?Do you have any of those conditions in your own family history? If you answer yes then you should consider getting one.
3.How common is a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA)?SCA results in over 350,000 deaths yearly.
4. Do I need a prescription to buy a defibrillator?
Yes. The Philips Heartstart model is the only defibrillator approved by the Federal Drug Administration to be sold over the counter without a prescription.
5.How much does a defibrillator cost? 
It costs between $1000 to $3000 for a defibrillator. Added expenditures are accessories;extra battery,pads,or case.
6.What should I look for in a defibrillator?
The defibrillators do the same functions but may have different features. They have different sizes. weights,colors,designs, and service support. You need to evaluate the service,features and time before a shock can be initiated.
7.What features are more important?
A model with voice instruction telling you what to do step-by-step,text, or video is definitely a plus.Some models automatically deliver the shock for you when it senses an irregular rhythm. It is also important to know that biphasic machines use less power than monophasic machines and are less damaging to the heart.
8. What are some of the manufacturers of defibrillators?
Defibtech,Philips,Zoll,Medtronic,Lifpak,Samaritan,and Lifquest are a few of the most impressive ones.
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Automated External Defibrillators should ideally be designed so the untrained lay person can quickly figure out how to use an AED in the event of sudden cardiac arrest. Lets face it, many people don’t know CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) never mind how to use and AED. And even the methods of providing CPR to victims are changing. The American Heart Association has just released their new method of 30 compressions to two breaths for CPR. After one CPR cycle, the victim can be shocked with the AED and the CPR cycle begins again.A study done at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois rated five AEDs on their ease of use and shock times. The study concluded that Defibtech Defibrillators, the Lifeline, (92%) achieved the highest success rate for subjects delivering an effective shock. Difficulties in pad placement lowered the success rate in other models tested. The Philips Heartstart Onsite (84%) and Zoll AED Plus (72%) defibrillators also achieved very good statistical comparison rates.
The methods used for ascertaining these results were as follows. 125 inexperienced bystanders were divided into groups of 25 and given a brief note that provided generic AED defibrillation instructions. Subjects then were assigned to a specific type of defibrillator group and told to deliver a shock to a simulated victim of sudden cardiac arrest. Being successful in the ability to provide the shock was the primary goal with the time it took for the AED to shock the victim as the second goal.
The shock time results were as follows. For the Defibtech AED Defibrillator, the Lifeline’s shock time was 64 seconds, the Philips Heartstart Onsite’s shock time was 79 seconds and the Zoll AED Plus was 114 seconds making AEDS very effective for use in SCA victims.
Should you get a Philips HeartStart Onsite for your home?
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
posted by Deb 11:11 AM
If you have experienced a sudden cardiac arrest, a heart attack, or you have life-threatening arrhythmia, you might want to talk with your doctor about having an automated external defibrillator in your home. A Philips HeartStart Onsite AED might just save your life. The Philips HeartStart Onsite AED was designed for home use and is the cardiac defibrillator not requiring a prescription.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest is when a victim has experienced loss of heart function. An electrical disturbance in your heart has caused the blood to stop flowing efficiently through the victim’s heart at to the rest of his body. He has collapsed, has no pulse, is not breathing and has lost consciousness. If untreated, he will DIE!
Victim’s who have life-threatening arrhythmia often have pre-conditions like coronary artery disease, enlarged heart, valvular heart disease, congenital heart disease, or electrophysiological abnormalities.
Coronary artery disease is caused by arteries becoming clogged with cholesterol and other deposits, reducing blood flow to the heart. This can alter the ability of the heart to conduct electrical implulses smoothly. More thean 80% of all victims who experience SCA have coronary artery disease.
Cardiomyopathy or enlarged heart occurs primarily when the heart’s muscular walls stretch and enlarge or thicken which lead to an abnormal heart’s muscle. When the heart tissue has been damaged, arrhythmia can occur.
Valvular heart disease is the leaking or narrowing of the heart’s values. This can lead to the stretching or thickening of your heart muscle or both. When the chambers become enlarged or weakened because of stress caused by a tight or leaking value, there is a potential for arrhythmia to occur.
Congenital heart disease is a genetic heart condition, present at birth, which sometimes causes SCA in young athletes. Triggered by vigorous exertion, this condition often occurs unexpectedly.
Electrophysiological abnormalities are problem’s with the heart’s electrical system rather than the heart muscle or it’s valves. These primary heart rhythm normalities include QT syndrome, Parkinson syndrome, and Brugada syndrome.
If coronary heart disease runs in your family, you smoke, have high blood pressure, have high blood cholesterol, are obese, have diabetes, or a sedintary lifestyle, you may be at risk for sudden cardiac arrest.
So should you get a Philips HeartStart Onsite for your home? You decide!
Heart disease kills over half a million people each year. A million more people will experience a heart attack for the first time or will have a recurrent attack. 37% of them will die. Genes,diet,exercise ( in moderation) and healthy attitudes can minimize our chances to become a statistic.
Heat disease is estimated to affect 16.8 million individuals; 8.1 million women and 8.7 million men. Their ages are from 20 years old and up. A half million more people are estimated to acquire heart disease each year. This is the leading cause of death in America.
What can we do? Eat right, exercise, get regular check-ups, watch our weight and blood pressure. If heart disease runs in your family think about a portable home defibrillator…its pays for itself!
When medical professionals talk about cardiac arrest, they are careful to make a distinction between the ventricular and arterial varieties. The former is much more dangerous than the latter, although both can be treated effectively with a portable defibrillator. Ventricular fibrillation can be deadly, and it’s very difficult for a layperson to detect. In truth, it’s best detected through EKG monitoring.
The ventricles, or large lower chambers of the heart, contract chaotically during ventricular fibrillation. This event prevents an adequate flow of blood to the rest of the body. By comparison, atrial fibrillation is less life-threatening. Several million Americans live with this condition, and it can lead to blood clots over time. Needless to say, both conditions require immediate medical attention.
Portable home defibrillators are safety nets for patients with fragile heart conditions.They can make the difference in a 20% chance of survival and a 65% chance of survival.Having the means at hand for a quick chain of survival initiation and waiting for a 911 call to be answered, and arrival of the EMS team can be vital.
Portable home defibrillators are easy to use and DO make a
BIG difference in your life.
The Philips Heartstart Trainer teaches students to use the defibrillator correctly and save victims from cardiac arrest. The device runs scenarios for simulated heart attacks. Instructions are clear and concise, giving confidence to the student , preparing them for a real event. The Trainer is clearly different from the actual defibrillator so errors in use are avoided.
The infant/child key is used to convert the defibrillator from adult use ( with a stronger charge) to an infant or child use (a lesser charge). CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) instructions are also given. The trainer uses four AA batteries.
Laws reguarding defibrillators vary widely in different states. Some embrace having defibrillators at public events, some in schools with athletics, health clubs,and in law enforcement vehicles.
Who may use atomated external defibrillators also vary. Some say paramedics only may use them, medical personnel, only those trained on defibrillators may use them, and in other cases laypeople with CPR training.
New York is one of the most agressive states for defibrillators. They have a law for having them in schools, health clubs, swimming pools, and public assemblies….GO NewYork!!!!!
California also advocates defibrillators for health clubs but exempts hotels. Florida issues AEDs in their police vehicles and schools with athletic programs. These are just a few of the state laws which I found interesting.
American Airlines is credited for being the first airlines to have Defibrillators on board their flights in 1997. They have saved over 75 lives in more than 10 years. This gives them a 63% survival rate for their passengers. Their flight attendants are qualified yearly for CPR and AED (automated external defibrillators) use.
The Senior Journal says the American Heart Association estimates that 95% of cardiac arrest victims die before reaching a hospital, however if defibrillation intervention is provided then the survival rate is increased to 49%.
Defibrillators are sturdy without special coverings but those coverings give added long life to your device.For instance, Cabinets protect them from theft,moisture,humidity, and curiosity.Some of the cabinets have alarms that go off if the door is opened.The alarm signals help for you and the victim. Alarms can be disconnected if you don’t wish to frighten others. Moisture and humidity effect wires and batteries and can cause malfunctioning when time is essential. Therefore temperature is of extreme importance.It also keeps the curious away from playing with the defibrillator to hear the commands and try the buttons.
Hard vinyl cases prevent the portable home defibrillator from being dropped or banging against something during an emergency. The cases have a thick foam insulation inside to cushion the defibrillator. Other cases are temperature controlled so the portable defibrillator can be stored in the trunk of a vehicle during extreme -20 degree cold and 140 degrees heat.