How is a defibrillator used?

Answer 1

A defibrillator is primarily used for two conditions, Ventricular Fibrillation (V-Fib) and Ventricular Tachycardia (V-Tach). V-Fib is when the heart basically twitches and V-Tach is when it beats too fast to actually move blood. A defibrillator will NOT work if there is no electrical rhythm. If the heart is not beating and has no electrical activity at all (Asystole) then contrary to what happens in the movies, using a defibrillator would be pointless. In this situation, the only thing that can possibly "bring the patient back" is full life-support and cardiac drugs.

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Few opportunities to "bring back" one who has died are as time sensitive as defibrillation. With trauma we have the golden hour. In the best EMS systems in the US with the fastest response times the save rate for out of hospital cardiac arrest is only 2%-15%. We are making some major changes for the better the last 2 years with the advent of Public Access Defibrillators, Hands Only CPR, and cerebral resusitation such as rapid cooling and induced comas in the hospital.

We need to get a patient in Sudden Cardiac Arrest defibrillated in 1 to 3 minutes for a 70%-90% resusitation rate. Waiting the 8 minutes average response time for first responders equates to a 20% save rate or less.

Any time a patient is not breathing and appears to be dead ( with few exceptions that it would not be appropriate to go into here) you should apply the AED as soon as possible. Do not delay CPR to wait for the AED but immediatly on arrival of the AED stop CPR as the pads are ready to be applied. If the arrest is witnessed ( if they have been down less then 5 minutes) immediatly allow the AED to analize the rhythm and follow it's instructions. If there will be a delay in arrival of the AED begin rapid compressions without breathing stopping when the AED has arrived and the pads are ready to be placed. If you have oxygen available put them on high flow oxygen with a nonrebreathing mask, air will be moved as in breathing as you compress and allow the chest to expand, after all, that is how you are breathing as you read this.

If you do not know how long the patient has been down but it is likely more then 5 minutes do 200 compressions prior to applying the AED then follow it's instructions.

If you are not currently certified in AED but have been trained in the past most States include you in the Good Samaritan limited immunity statutes. If nobody is using the AED then you should use it. The machine is so smart and so fail-safe that 6th graders with minimal training have demonstrated they can effectivly and safely use it.

An AED can not shock a patient who is breathing and is not in a cardiac rhythm that requires a rapid shock to survive. No matter what you do or how many times you push the button you CAN NOT shock a patient who's life does not depend on you doing so.

You do NOT have time to wait for Fire/EMS/PD to arrive, if you see or know there is an AED there and the patient is not breathing turn it on, follow the instructions given regardless of if your training is current or not.

Answer 2

A manual external defibrillator delivers the shock through paddles or pads on the patient's chest.

A manual internal defibrillator delivers the shock through an internal paddle in direct contact with the heart.

An automated external defibrillator take 10-20 seconds to diagnose heart rhythm, meaning that chest compressions have to be stopped. AED's are pads placed on the patient's chest.

Answer 3

A defibrillator is a machine commonly used by health care professionals (e.g. EMT, nurses, Doctors, etc.). This machine is used in order to shock a humans heart back into a regular rhythm. The way your heart works is that you have small nodes of cells called pacemakers sending electrical pulses to your cardiac muscles that tell your heart when to pump blood. When these electrical pulses stop, your heart stops beating. When this happens, a defibrillator is used to shock the heart muscles and the pacemakers back into action. If the heart stops beating (asystole), chemicals may be administered to "restart" the heart. A defibrillator is used when the heart is beating, but irregular (arrhythmia). The shock causes all of the cardiac muscle cells to contract at the same time. This usually corrects the irregular heart beat. The way this is achieved is by rubbing the two panels of the defibrillator together to create an adequate electrical current, then the doctor or fireman will shout "clear" so that no humans other than the patient are shocked (electrical current through the body) or electrocuted (killed by shocking).

Answer 4

The Paramedics must carry defibrillators with them at all times in case the heart stops on the way to hospital.

I hope this answer has been of much use.

Answer 5

Severe cardiac arrhythmia's including but not limited to fibrillation (A-fib or V-fib) and asystole.

Answer 6

When their heart is in an irregular beat known as ventricular fibrillation.