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Various Forms and Uses of a Defibrillator

A defibrillator is one very essential medical device. When a patient experiences ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia and thus dangerously fast and chaotic heartbeat, defibrillation is done to restore a normal heart rhythm. Also, patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, cardiomyopathy, QT syndromes and survivors of sudden cardiac death need defibrillation. Using defibrillators help prevent cases of cardiac arrest and cardiac death.

Defibrillation is the ultimate treatment for life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia. To deliver a therapeutic jolt of electrical energy to the affected heart, a defibrillator is used. Such treatment restores normal heart rhythms before cardiac arrest occurs. It works by depolarizing a critical mass of the heart muscle, stopping the arrhythmia, and reestablishing normal sinus rhythm.

There are different forms and sizes of defibrillators. Those types you see in a hospital are called manual defibrillators or defibrillator paddles or, and they can only be operated by healthcare professionals. On the other hand, the AED can be used by lay people with only less training, which is handy for emergency purposes where no healthcare professional is around. ICDs or implantable cardio-verter defibrillators are implantable in the patient’s chest.

There are both internal and external manual defibrillators. The clinician diagnoses a cardiac condition through external units that work in conjunction with electrocardiogram readers. After the diagnosis, the clinician then decides on the charge in joules to deliver to the patient’s chest, and sends the shock through pads or paddles. Medical knowledge and experience is needed to perform this treatment, thus they are only generally found in hospitals and some ambulances.

Similar to the external version are manual internal defibrillators. However, for these units, the charge is sent by internal leads in direct contact to the heart. When the heart is experiencing an abnormal rhythm, the leads detect it and deliver the required electrical shock. Typically, you can see these units in operating theatres where the chest is likely to be open.

For emergency purposes, automated external defibrillators are available. These units rely on computer technology to analyze the heart rhythm and advise whether a shock is needed. AEDs can be used by lay persons, who call for little training. Generally, they are held by qualified personnel who will attend incidents or are PADs or public access defibrillators that can be found in airports, hotels, shopping centers, and corporate or government offices, among others.

ICDs or implantable cardio-verter defibrillators are another form. Such units are implantable (patient’s chest), and can perform the same function as pacemaking. ICDs regularly check on the patient’s heart rhythm, and if required, also corrects arrhythmia or abnormal heart rhythm based on the device’s programming. The pacemaker can be used together with ICDs for events that involve treating complex arrhythmias.

Those are the different types and uses of a defibrillator. But although they are different in shape and size, all of them have a specific goal. That is to convert an unhealthy cardiac rhythm into a more normal rhythm. And whether, it is used by medical professionals or lay men, external or internal, automatic or manual, it helps lessen incidences of cardiac arrest or cardiac death.

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