External Defibrillator
Major Improvements Have Been Made In Last 20 Years
Various Forms and Uses of a DefibrillatorA 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 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.
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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.
Manual defibrillators can either be external or internal. External types work with electrocardiogram readers, which allow the clinician to diagnose a cardiac condition. Then, basing on previous knowledge and experience, the clinician will deliver the appropriate charge in joules through pads or paddles on the patient’s chest. Doing so requires detailed medical knowledge, and for this reason, these units are usually found only 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.
Implantable cardio-verter defibrillators or ICDs are another type. They are implanted in the patient’s chest, and could function similarly to pacemaking. ICDs continuously observe and monitor the patient’s heart rhythm, and if necessary, also correct an irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia) depending on the device’s programming. A pacemaker can also be used in conjunction with an ICD to treat 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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