Benefits of Portable Defibrillators Used to Prevent Heart Attack

When you think of a cardiac defibrillator you think of the emergency room and trained professionals needed to operate it. Although they are life saving devices they can only save a life if the patient is able to use them in time. However, with the advent of portable defibrillators, people prone to a heart attack or cardiac arrest can now get immediate relief anywhere and at anytime. The danger of death due to delay in getting proper attention is thus warded off.

In many cases a heart attack or cardiac arrest is caused by fibrillation or irregular rhythm of the heart beats. This may prove to be fatal because the heart is unable to supply enough blood to the body during a fibrillation. The cardiac defibrillators work by delivering small electric shocks that help to stimulate the heart to return to its normal rhythm, thus warding off a heart attack. The electric shock is delivered either through paddles or electrodes placed over the chest. The sudden jolt or spasm received by the heart stops the fibrillation, thus restoring normal blood circulation and preventing heart failure.

Earlier the use of heart defibrillators required the presence of trained emergency technicians and physicians. Because they were bulky and difficult to move around they were confined to hospitals and ordinary people could not use them on their own. Portable defibrillators have however made it possible for ordinary people to become lifesavers as, because of their small size, they can be used at home and other places. As it is automated to a great extent, there is no risk involved when a portable defibrillator is used by ordinary citizens.

An automated portable defibrillator has the capability to assess whether or not the patient needs an electric stimulation and it also determines how much its strength should be. As the system is computerized and automated it is not possible to make a wrong assessment and therefore the risk of misuse is minimized. The latest models of portable defibrillators are no larger than laptops and they include voice prompts and controls that are fully automated. They also provide step by step instructions about their proper use.

Now it is possible to train non medical people like flight attendants, security guards and even office staff in the use of a portable defibrillator so that they can avert death by using this life saving device in case of a cardiac arrest. It is estimated that every year about a million Americans die of heart failures the portable defibrillator has the potential to save many lives.