Keeping your family safe will always be one of your top priorities if not the number one priority. Having a plan of action in place for emergencies will ensure that you’re prepared should anything happen. The automatic defibrillator should be one of the tools you have handy in your toolbox (or rather a medical kit) for when you might need it most.
Some of the automated defibrillator models will have different settings for adults and children which makes it perfect for use with the whole family. The electrode pads placed on the chest could be universal, in which case you would have to select the child or adult option on the machine itself. Other models will have separate pads for adults and will come with its own pediatric pads. However, using AEDs on children is quite uncommon, so learning how to use pediatric pads will be helpful in the rare chance it occurs.
This nifty little machine will prove to be very handy for your home as it has various uses. Not only can you save a life by restarting a heart in the event of a cardiac arrest, you can also monitor loved ones for any signs of heart problems or irregularities. Having one in your home could prove valuable for emergency situations.
Let’s take a closer look at how these automated defibrillators can be used:
Monitor Heart Rhythms
Connecting the automatic defibrillator to a person suspected of having an irregular heart rhythm will help you monitor their heart’s rhythm patterns.
This could provide crucial information to medical staff should the person be admitted to hospital or if emergency services need to transport them.
Detecting irregular heart rhythms early would most likely save a life before the problem escalates too far. The machine will also notify you if a shock is necessary to reset the heart rhythm. Another feature that’ll be helpful to untrained persons using the machine, is that it’ll guide you through the steps for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
CPR will be essential for any emergency and familiarizing yourself with the steps will greatly improve your success of using the automated defibrillator.
Restart A Heart
We never want to think of the worst-case scenario when it comes to the people we love, but we need to be prepared. Accidents happen when we least expect them and having measures in place to ensure that everyone is safe is definitely a priority.
In emergency medicine, the golden hour is described as the crucial few minutes directly after an accident happened. Patients who receive emergency medical care within those very important moments, have a higher probability of recovery and survival.
Using your automatic defibrillator in these moments when no heartbeat can be detected and the person is unresponsive, can save their life.
Should anyone close to us have an accident and they are left without a heartbeat, the automatic defibrillator may help to restart the heart.
Regular Monitoring Of Heart Problems
Making sure that all is well with your heart used to be the sole responsibility of your local doctor, but no more! You can use your automatic defibrillator to monitor the health of your heart from home.
With built-in alarms that will sound if there’s anything you need to worry about, this little machine could be of big help.
With its compact size, it’s ideal to keep around for everyday use if needed and small enough to quickly reach for when a situation arises.
Sudden cardiac arrest is something that can catch you off guard and being prepared by having an automated defibrillator on hand is something you’ll not regret. For someone with pre-existing heart conditions, it’ll be wise to look for a machine with more advanced features.
Detecting ventricular fibrillation, the most common cause of a heart attack, the machine could assess how many shocks will be needed and thus the treatment can be given according to the patient’s individual needs.
In Conclusion
Having an automated defibrillator will be useful at the office, in schools, public spaces, in the car and most definitely at home. Buying one with more advanced features might be slightly more costly, but surely worth it. Having voice guidance when you need to focus on saving your loved one will make all the difference when you need to concentrate on your actions.
Remember that the device will give much needed support during emergencies, but don’t forget to contact emergency personnel so they can give further support and transport your loved one to the hospital. In some cases, there may be other medical issues as well that can only be effectively addressed at a hospital or medical facility.
If your family has any medical history of heart problems like heart attacks or irregular heart rhythms, this would put you at more risk to suffer from the same. Taking the necessary precautions like visiting your doctor regularly should be on your to-do-list.
Children will be children and adults can get hurt too. Having this handy machine near in case of an emergency could be a lifesaver.
