Things to Consider Before Investing in a Home Defibrillator: Are Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) More Effective Than CPR in Saving Lives?

Home defibrillators, or AEDs, have definitely saved lives. But some people, including my family doctor, say there are drawbacks. Some say that AEDs are an unnecessary expense because simple compression-only CPR is just as effective in saving the life of someone suffering from cardiac arrest. On the other hand, my local pharmacist believes there are few, if any, downsides to having an AED in every home. The following information will help you decide if a home defibrillator is right for you.

When a person goes into cardiac arrest (as opposed to a heart attack caused by blocked arteries), the heart's electrical activity is disrupted, causing the heart to beat either dangerously fast or chaotically. When the heart's rhythm is irregular, sometimes called "quivering," the heart muscle is unable to pump blood to the brain and other vital organs. The person loses consciousness, and death may occur within a few minutes. If the person survives, there still may be permanent damage to the brain and vital organs if oxygen and the blood supplies were inadequate. Therefore, time is critical when a person goes into sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), and the use of a defibrillator or CPR may likely make the difference between life and death.

There are hospital defibrillators like those we've all seen used on television shows, and there are much smaller, portable and less expensive versions called home defibrillators or AEDs. In a hospital setting, medical personnel use defibrillators that send voltage through two paddles that are placed on a patient's chest. The "clear" warning is given, and the patient's body is jolted as the voltage surges.

The smaller AEDs are portable and consist of two pads that are placed on the SCA victim's chest. They come with voice instructions, making it possible for virtually anyone to use an AED in the case of an emergency. Once the pads are in place, the AED will set itself and send voltage to the person's heart. The machine can also determine by the heart's rhythm if a second electrical shock is necessary.

The ubiquitous AED can be found in airports, bus terminals, schools, recreation centers, gyms and government offices. They are also carried in police and emergency vehicles, and many individuals now own them for home or personal use. But how essential is an AED for your home? You be the judge.

According to my local pharmacist, a home defibrillator can be purchased by anyone, without a prescription. They are automated (thus the name AED) and provide the user with voice instructions as to their use. Instead of paddles, the portable AED has two pads, with instructions as to their placement on the SCA victim. AEDs can also be used on children as young as 10, although it's rare that someone that young would suffer SCA.

The AED is small - about the size of a child's lunch box - and can be easily stored under a car seat, in a drawer or on a closet shelf. However, because they are not something one uses every day - and hopefully never - there's always the chance it will be misplaced or kept out of sight, making it unlikely that a visitor would either know of its whereabouts or think to use it.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), fewer than a third of those stricken by SCA, whether in public or in their home, get the life-saving help they need. The AHA says bystanders are often afraid of making a mistake or making matters worse and therefore do nothing. That being the case, the AHA is now encouraging compression-only CPR in cases of SCA. The AHA is encouraging people to do just two things: call 911 and push hard and fast (100 presses a minute) in the center of the chest of the fallen victim. Called Hands-Only CPR, the AHA says this new approach can be just as effective as conventional CPR in cases of SCA.

Home defibrillators are expensive, ranging in price from just under $1,000 to more than $3,000. If studies and the claims of the AHA are accurate, it would be more cost effective to focus on Hands-Only CPR training. A person trained to quickly respond when faced with a SCA victim may be more likely to save a life than someone depending on the availability of a home defibrillator.

No doubt AEDs have their place. Hands-Only CPR is easy and can almost become second nature with occasional practice. That being said, whether to buy an AED for your home or vehicle comes down to personal choice.

Resource:

AHA; http://handsonlycpr.eisenberginc.com/