There’s no sense in knowing the technicalities about the automated external defibrillator if you don’t have enough understanding about heart diseases. Over a hundred types of heart diseases have already been identified throughout the centuries. Among the most common and most threatening of these are the following:
- Myocardial Infarction (MI) – commonly known as Heart Attack. This involves death of brain tissues due to lack of blood supply after the heart ceased from its normal rhythm. It could cause permanent damage to the heart muscles if not treated immediately.
- Arrhythmia and Atrial Fibrillation – are conditions of irregular heart rhythm. These are also life-threatening once these cause the heart to stop functioning.
- Cardiomegaly – otherwise known by many as enlarged heart. This is typically a result of coronary artery disease or hypertension (high blood pressure).
- Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DC) – a heart condition that anyone of any age is at risk
- Heart Murmurs – can be due to the flow of blood through an overworked or damaged heart valve.
- Marfan Syndrome – an inherited genetic disorder that attacks and weakens connective tissues of the heart and of other vital organs in the body.
- Coronary Artery Disease – this is the leading heart disease in the US with over 13 million American sufferers.
- Heart Valve Disease – a common heart disease that results to malfunctioning of the heart valve.
- Cardiomyopathy – also known as heart muscle disease and another common cardiovascular disease.
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) – a disease characterized by thickening of the heart’s walls.
- Restrictive Cardiomyopathy (RCM) – a rare heart disease and not yet fully understood.
- Congenital Heart Disease – a life-threatening disease that is both hereditary and acquired.
- Pericardial Effusion – a heart disease caused by fluid around the heart that is a product of cancer, heart surgery, kidney disease, and various types of infection or inflammation.
- Pericarditis – it happens when the pericardium, the small sac that holds the heart, gets infected.
- Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) – a very common and high-mortality-rate heart disease in the US as well as in many other parts of the world.
Knowing the specific type of heart disease your loved one suffers from; you will be able to determine the most appropriate AED that could be used as protection against threats of seizure. This information would also help you maximize the functionality and effectiveness of the AED unit that you have. Apart from that, this would help you determine the corresponding immediate actions, including the tools and materials to prepare and use when the emergency case takes place.
Furthermore, if you want to know more about the proper and responsible use of AEDs, you can go for the AED Program Management and AED Medical Oversight training courses offered at Citywide CPR. These training courses would surely help you become ready and knowledgeable enough so you can be the best lifesaver you could be whenever the need calls. Feel free to take a tour at Citywide’s official website, citywideCPR.com to find out more about this training center and the myriad of emergency medical services it offers. Go for AED Program Management and AED Medical Oversight training courses at Citywide CPR now!
