In order for an emergency case to be resolved efficiently and quickly, one has to be calm and focused. Of course, it also helps if one has an idea of as well as the needed skill when it comes to how to handle different emergency situations. Now, in case the person who is willing to provide assistance does not have any knowledge of CPR or what to do, what would be the best solution for him or her?
AED, short for Automated External Defibrillator, is a portable electronic device that has been slowly gaining notice as one of the easiest ways of saving another person’s life. An AED is typically used in cases of cardiac arrhythmia involving ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. What this device does is stop arrhythmia in order to give the heart a chance to restore normal beating pattern.
Currently, a number of states have already put into place local laws that make it compulsory for establishments, particularly educational institutions, to have at least one unit of AED on hand. That being the case, if you want to feel truly safe inside your own home, it would be prudent to have your own AED. But, can you get just about any AED being offered in the market?
One of the things that you have to consider when getting an AED is the layout of the AED being presented to you. Especially if you do not have any knowledge about AED nor how to perform a CPR, make sure that you go for an AED that has a very simple and user-friendly layout or design. A simple layout will help you easily find your way around even if you are already under stress and pressure as can be expected of any emergency situation.
The AED you should go for should be able to provide you with voice prompts on how to apply CPR as well as how to use the device. When it comes to this, you have three choices. You can either go for the semi-automatic AED or the fully automatic AED or the manual AED. With a semi-automatic AED, the device would not administer any electric jolt unless you specifically push the button for the jolts. This is as opposed to an automatic AED where the jolts would be administered automatically after the device has given you due notice. In a manual AED, on the other hand, it would be up to the user how much jolts would be administered. The device would no longer perform any analysis of the patient’s condition. This type of AED is typically recommended for those who ahve medical background.
AEDs also typically come with lithium batteries specifically issued by the manufacturer. Some of these batteries are rechargeable while other are not. If possible, go for the former as this takes away the need to constantly be on the lookout on where to get the right set of batteries. Some AED units would also typically come with ECG display. This is useful especially if you have background in reading ECG reports.
Citywide CPR offers AED program management which you might be interested in especially if you would like to make the most of your device.
