It cannot be denied that, when it comes to saving a person’s life, being prepared is the best solution. This means that the people around him or her should have at least a working knowledge of how to apply chest compressions. That being the case, would it be practical for you to have an AED unit in your own home?
AED stands for Automated External Defibrillator. It is a portable device that can be used in order to administer electric shock to the heart in order to normalize the beating pattern. It is typically used when the case involves arrhythmia in the ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. Keep in mind that not all heart attacks would require the use of AED nor the application of CPR. These two are only used in cases of cardiac arrest.
As promising as the AED might sound, it is not something that you can use in order to revive just about any unconscious soul. If a situation involves a different reason for the cardiac arrest, the use of the AED would not really be practical. In such cases, a CPR might prove to be more useful.
Under what conditions should you consider getting an AED?
If you have had a history of such medical condition as ventricular tachycardia, you might want to consider having an AED on hand. This unit typically comes three in forms – manual, semi-automatic, and automatic. Manual AEDs are typically recommended for those who have knowledge of how much shock or jolt should be applied in order to restore proper rhythm to the heart. The user would be the one to input all the needed details in order to get the desired jolt. Semi-automatic AED, on the other hand, requires the user to push a certain button before the jolts would be administered. As the name implies, an automatic AED would automatically administer the needed jolts in order to revive the patient after due warning had been given by the unit. The last two typically come with voice prompts that make it possible for the use to administer CPR and make use of the device even when he or she does not have any experience on such. When using the AED on a patient, you have to make sure that you have someone call 911, or the emergency number in your area so that the patient could easily be transported to the nearest hospital.
Of course, even with an AED on hand, you have to keep in mind that your AED nor the CPR that you would be performing would be enough to get the patient on his or her feet again. Even if they already appear to be coherent, you have to make sure that you being them to a medical professional for a check-up. This is because, only a medical professional can determine if the patient’s mental faculties have been affected by the insufficient oxygen to the brain.
More information about AED program management is being offered by Citywide CPR.
