AEDs may be helpful for people who have serious heart disease and are at risk of abrupt cardiac arrest. AEDs, on the other hand, can only resuscitate persons who have a certain sort of abnormal heart rhythm. Consult your doctor to see if an AED can save your life.
People who have experienced a heart attack can be resuscitated with AED defibrillators. When the electrical activity of the heart is interrupted, an extremely fast heartbeat (ventricular tachycardia) or a rapid and irregular pulse ensue (ventricular fibrillation). The heart stops pumping adequately in one of these irregular cardiac rhythms.
When this happens, the brain and other vital organs do not receive the blood and oxygen they require. This must be addressed as soon as possible to avert death. The brain and other organs are less likely to be irreversibly injured if the heart’s rhythm is re-established quickly.
If an AED is near someone who is having ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia, a bystander in a public location or a family member can use it to shock the heart back into a normal rhythm. An AED has the ability to save a person’s life.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can keep circulation going to the heart and brain for a brief time after a heart attack. Defibrillation is frequently the only technique to bring the heart’s rhythm back to normal. When these drugs are taken simultaneously, the chances of survival improve.
What AED defibrillators, and how do I use them?
If someone has passed out and you think they might need an AED, follow these steps:
- Check for a pulse and to see if the person is breathing.
- Contact emergency service if you can’t feel the person’s pulse and aren’t breathing. If there are additional people on the scene, one can call 911 while the other sets the AED. If you’re alone, contact paramedics first to guarantee that help is on the way.
- Activate the AED (automated external defibrillator). The automated external defibrillator provides voice instructions. It will instruct you on how to check for breathing and a pulse and how to place electrode pads on the bare chest of the subject.
- Deliver the shock- The AED automatically detects the person’s cardiac rhythm and calculates whether or not a shock is required after the pads are in place. If that’s the case, the machine will instruct the user to take a step back and press a button to initiate the shock. If a shock is not required, the AED is set to not give one.
- CPR should be performed. If CPR is still needed after the shock, start it right away. People will also be taught how to administer CPR using the AED. You can repeat the treatment as many times as you need until emergency workers arrive.
The instructions for using and maintaining the home AED are included with the device. When using an AED, it’s a good idea for everyone in the house to read the instructions and revisit them on a regular basis.
Conclusion
Having an AED on hand is necessary in case of an emergency. Police and ambulance workers carry AEDs. They’re also readily available in a variety of public locations, such as malls, office buildings, sports arenas, gyms, and airlines. However, because many cardiac arrests occur at home, owning a home AED can help resuscitate a person with ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia in a matter of minutes.
If they are placed where they are most needed, many lives will be saved, say, proponents of home AEDs. However, detractors contend that there is no evidence that home defibrillators save even more lives.