Defibrillators Save Lives January 6th, 2008

    Defibrillators are a very important piece of medical equipment. There are two types of defibrillators: automated devices used by hospitals, emergency responders, and even the general public, and then those that require a user to set each charge.

    The defibrillator models that require a user to set each charge must be set for the intensity of each shock the user needs ACLS skills to use it. Paddles or electrodes are not disposable and must have a conducting gel applied for use. Unlike the automated machines, they can be used on all ages and deliver any shock within the operating range.
    This means they can be used on children and infants as well as on adults and can be used for other conditions than full arrests. This greater versatility over the automated defibrillators, also known as AEDs) is more appropriate in the hospital or medical setting where trained personnel can take advantage of it. In the field or in malls or schools or other public places, the easier and more automatic the defibrillator machine to restart the heart is, the better.

    Your best chance of surviving a cardic arrest is the swift application of a current to interrupt fibrillation which is a useless and chaotic rhythm that does not circulate blood. Calling EMS and starting CPR are also critical, but the next and vital step is having the right machine to restore a heart rhythm that can support life. Used medical equipment such as defibrillators work as well as brand new defibrillators but at a fraction of the cost, saving money.


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