| The automated external defibrillator is, | | | | shock to the heart muscle, basically kicking |
| amazingly, still a device that is not | | | | it back into a regular, synchronous beating |
| commonly known about. I say amazingly, | | | | activity.A defibrillator, until the mid-80s, |
| because the ailment it treats is one of the | | | | would only have been found in medical |
| most insidious killers in the US today. That | | | | facilities and medical emergency vehicles. |
| is, sudden cardiac arrest.Heart disease comes | | | | They tended to be cumbersome, technical to |
| in many forms, some brought on by bad living | | | | operate, and could be a danger to the |
| habits - such as eating too much fried or | | | | operator if not used correctly.Enter the |
| fatty food, smoking, excessive alcohol | | | | automated external defibrillatorThe newest |
| consumption, etc. Other forms of heart | | | | versions of these machines are small (about |
| disease are congenital, meaning they are | | | | the size of a baseball mitt), so easy to |
| present at birth. And still others, to this | | | | operate a child could use one, and safe for |
| day are still unresolved as to their | | | | the operator. Great technological strides |
| cause.There is however, one ailment of the | | | | indeed have been made in recent years, |
| heart, above all others in its impact on | | | | resulting in external automated |
| life. That ailment, is sudden cardiac | | | | defibrillators that can be used in the home, |
| arrest. It claims over 250,000 American | | | | in the office, and in public gathering places |
| lives a year, and given the current eating | | | | such as stadiums, churches, sports arenas, |
| habits in the US, looks only to get worse. I | | | | etc.For people who have known heart |
| say that because our eating habits now tend | | | | conditions, these are the best thing to come |
| to produce or accelerate heart | | | | along since the invention of the wheel. They |
| disease.Although sudden cardiac arrest can | | | | can allow them mobility with safety, and |
| claim the life of anyone, young or old, sick | | | | assurance in the knowledge that if cardiac |
| or seemingly well, it is much more prevalent | | | | arrest strikes, there is a machine at their |
| among people who already suffer one or more | | | | side that any bystander or family member |
| of the heart diseases mentioned above.Sudden | | | | could use to save their life.As you can |
| cardiac arrest, in its basic definition, is | | | | probably tell by now, automated external |
| simply the cessation of regular heart | | | | defibrillators need to be in more homes, |
| activity in an individual, suddenly and | | | | offices, and public gathering places than |
| unexpectedly. Its triggers can vary -- from | | | | they currently are. To do this more public |
| sudden, blunt impact to the chest area (as in | | | | awareness is needed about the automated |
| the case of a baseball player being hit in | | | | external defibrillator. They are actually |
| the chest by a baseball traveling at 90 mph), | | | | the greatest insurance policy someone with |
| to clogged arteries, as in the case of heart | | | | heart disease (or even without) could have |
| attack sufferers. The outcome, however, is | | | | against this insidious killer.We can reduce |
| about 95% of the time, unchanging. Death of | | | | unnecessary deaths from SCA dramatically if |
| the victim.This inevitability is due to the | | | | more people have available to them an |
| speed with which a victim dies. It is less | | | | automated external defibrillator, and if more |
| time than would normally take a medical crew | | | | public officials are made aware of the need |
| to arrive at the scene. If the victim is | | | | for automated external defibrillators in |
| without a heartbeat for more than | | | | schools, colleges, and universities.If you |
| approximately 4 to 6 minutes, brain and body | | | | can see the urgency and need, why not forward |
| death begin. Between 6 and 10 minutes and | | | | this e-mail to your congressmen or |
| you may as well read the last rites.If a | | | | congresswoman, and your friends and family.It |
| defibrillator is used, survival rates | | | | is still true that an ounce of prevention is |
| increased dramatically (up to around | | | | worth a pound of cure. Having an automated |
| 75%).What is an automated external | | | | external defibrillator available for use in a |
| defibrillator?The automated external | | | | cardiac emergency is like having a pound of |
| defibrillator is a machine that is easily | | | | prevention and a ton of cure. That might be |
| portable and able to administer an electrical | | | | something to strive for. |