We all know that cancer is a major killer in the U.S. but we
often underestimate Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
It’s SCA that takes the lives without warning of people in their
workplace, homes, public places, gyms, athletic events and yes even kids in
school. The American Heart Association
claims there are a shocking 360,000 deaths each year, that’s 1,000 today and
another 1,000 tomorrow, etc. Cardiac
Arrest is caused by an unexpected electrical misfire in the heart which causes
the heart to quiver rapidly as part of a chaotic heart rhythm. Following this the victim drops to the
ground, loses consciousness, and is unable to breathe or show signs of
life. In short, the heart must be
stopped by a defibrillation shock in hopes that it is restarted into a normal
rhythm. SCA happens to men and women,
young and old, and even school aged schools and it is most unpredictable.
There’s a silver lining to these troubling statistics and
that’s the technology has made possible public defibrillators which can be used
by ordinary people to revive the victim and bring them back from sure
death. AEDs are Automated External
Defibrillators and these surprisingly simple-to-use devices guide the responder
through the rescue. These are the
general steps as to how to revive the victim:
2. Begin CPR until the AED arrives
3. The AED should be removed from the surface mount cabinet (unless already mobile)
4. Open the carrying case but the AED sometimes does not need to be completely removed from the case
5. Power on the AED which is done by pushing the power button or unlatching the AED lid
6. Follow the AED’s voice prompts exactly as directed
7. Look for visual prompts like a text screen, illuminating diagrams or a video screen (these are most helpful for noisy environments)
8. Remove clothing from the victim’s chest
9. Place the electrode pads as directed or diagrammed, one goes on the upper right of the bare chest and the other in the lower left
10. Once the pads are placed properly the AED determines if a shock is required
11. If a shockable rhythm is detected the AED will advise a shock
12. If directed to deliver a shock push the shock button (some AEDs are fully-automatic which means it delivers a shock without having to push a shock button)
13. How to use an AED When prompted to begin CPR place overlapping hands in the middle of the chest and push down approximately one third of the depth of the chest at the rate 100 compression per minute
14. Subsequent shocks are sometimes required if the initial shock is not successful, the device will advise accordingly
Individuals handle pressure differently and thus training
efforts should be maximized for the staff with CPR/AED training, instructional
videos, and periodic refreshers. All these efforts improve the chance of a
revival. If you have questions as to how to use an AED or your specific AED-type
contact PurchaseAEDs.com & AED One-Stop Shop for expert level
consultative support. If you’re
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