Defibrillator

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Defibrillator: Its Different Forms and Uses

In the field of medicine, a defibrillator plays a very essential role. When heartbeat becomes dangerously fast and chaotic due to ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia, defibrillators deliver an electrical shock to the heart to restore a normal heart rhythm. Using it helps prevent cardiac arrest and cardiac death from happening. Patients with cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, QT syndrome or survivors of sudden cardiac death require defibrillation.

Defibrillation is the best treatment for life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia. It works by sending a therapeutic jolt of electrical energy to the affected heart through a device called a defibrillator. This treatment depolarizes a critical mass of the heart muscle, stops the arrhythmia, and reestablishes normal sinus rhythm. It restores normal heart rhythms before the affected heart suffers from sudden cardiac arrest.

REVIEW ARTICLE: Current Concepts: Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators after Myocardial Infarction (New England Journal of Medicine)REVIEW ARTICLE: Current Concepts: Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators after Myocardial Infarction (New England Journal of Medicine)
Patients with a history of myocardial infarction and a reduced ejection fraction are at increased risk for life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. Which of these patients are the most appropriate candidates for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy is unclear. Factors influencing the decision are discussed.

Defibrillators come in various shapes and sizes. What you commonly see in the hospital are called manual defibrillators or defibrillator paddles, and they are used by healthcare professionals. The AED or automatic external defibrillators are those that allow lay people to operate it with only minimal training. This is perfect for emergency uses. Implantable cardioverter defibrillators or ICDS are implanted in a 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.

Manual internal defibrillators are just about identical to the external version. The difference is that the charge is delivered through internal leads attached to the heart. The leads are used to detect when the heart is experiencing a rhythm that demands a shock, and to deliver the shock. Generally, you can find these units exclusively in operating rooms, where the chest is likely to be open, or can be quickly opened by a surgeon.

Few Things You Need To Know: Defibrillator Lead LawsuitFew Things You Need To Know: Defibrillator Lead Lawsuit
When there is any cardiac arrest, a device called defibrillator is used to give electrical energy to the heart to release it from the arrest. With the advancement in the technology automatic defibrillator leads are developed and fitted ...

Automated external defibrillators are available for emergency purposes. They are preprogrammed units using computer technology that are designed to analyze the heart rhythm and advise whether a shock is required. Lay persons can operate AEDs with minimal training. They are either PADs or public access defibrillators and can be found in corporate or government offices, hotels, airports and shopping centers. Or, they could be held by skilled personnel who will attend incidents.

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.

A defibrillator can come in various forms and uses. However, no matter how different they are in shape and size, they all aim to restore an unhealthy cardiac rhythm into a more normal rhythm. So, whether it’s automatic or manual, internal or external, or used only by medical professionals or lay men, it plays a significant role in saving lives of people.

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