Zoll Defibrillator
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Different Types and Uses of a DefibrillatorA defibrillator plays a very important role in the field of medicine. It is used to restore a normal heart rhythm through sending an electrical shock to the heart when heartbeat becomes dangerously fast due to ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia. Both conditions may be life-threatening, and could lead to cardiac arrest, and even cardiac death. Other conditions that require defibrillation are long QT syndrome, cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia and survivors of sudden 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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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.
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.
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.
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.
Then, there’re implantable cardioverter defibrillators or ICDs. These units are implanted in the patient’s chest, and they may also perform the pacemaking function. ICDs constantly monitor the patient’s heart rhythm, and if needed, also correct an abnormal heart rhythm or arrhythmia according to the device’s programming. In the event of complex arrhythmias, such devices can be combined with a pacemaker.
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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More Ontario students to be trained in defibrillator use - The ...More Ontario students to be trained in defibrillator use - The ...
Ontario is investing $1.4 million to expand defibrillator training for high-school students to enhance CPR and other on-the-spot treatment for cardiac arrest. The program will help the Advanced Coronary Treatment Foundation train ...