Doctor’s Senior Exercise & Health Newsletter

Automatic External Cardiac Defibrillators…

It is generally not my practice to write about products in my Newsletter, however, the seriousness of the condition known as, “Sudden Cardiac Arrest”, or “Heart Attack”, makes this a very important subject. Annually 1.1 million Americans suffer heart attacks, and 460,00 die. Sudden cardiac arrest happens to 600 people daily. It can happen to the individual when least expected, and the individual who gets immediate help, will be the one with the best chance of survival. That help can come in the form of any Good Samaritan on the scene with access to an automatic external cardiac defibrillator (AED).

When a person is in cardiac arrest, or appears to be having a heart attack, it is crucial that life-saving techniques are applied. Every minute that goes by without intervention decreases the chances of their survival by ay at least 10 percent, and possibly more. With the new breed of external cardiac defibrillators (AED), it is now possible to greatly increase the chances for the survival of that individual until the arrival of the paramedics. And it is for that reason, an automatic external cardiac defibrillator (AED), should be in every home, office, restaurant, gym, public building, boat, and even in the trunk of your car. It would especially become a necessity in any home, if there were an individual who has a heart problem. It can possibly save that individuals life should an emergency arise. You can read more about sudden cardiac arrest at: www.doctorsexercise.com.   Click on the “Doctor’s Journal”, dated 6/1/05, titled, “Sudden Cardiac Arrest”.

It is now possible for anyone on the scene of an incident of a possible cardiac arrest or a heart attack, to save that persons life. They should not hesitate to use these new cardiac defibrillators. The technological advances have made these devices so sophisticated, that they are fool proof, and can be used by anyone, should the emergency arise. They will work only on people who are in cardiac arrest or having a heart attack. The defibrillator needs only to be hooked up to the individual. That requires the person using it to turn it on, and place the pad on the patient’s chest. The unit will then read the patient’s heart rhythm and assess the need to shock the patient only if it is appropriate. It will not tell you to apply the shock if it is inappropriate. The unit I am discussing is the Zoll AED Plus. How it works is as follows:

1. The AED Plus has the LCD Display screen that shows all prompts visually and also gives precise voice instructions.
2. Can also display ECG information that can be used by paramedics on their arrival.
3. The AED Plus has CPR Feedback and lets the user know if CPR is being done effectively.
4. The AED Plus has a Graphical User Interface on the surface that walks the user through the AHA Rescue Chain of Survival (the only AED that does so).
5. It is also important to know that the consumer batteries (Duracell) it uses last as long, if not longer, than Proprietary batteries, and are much cheaper to replace. These batteries can be purchased in any Drugstore, Camera store, Target, K-Mart, etc.
6. The AED Plus has escalating energy up to 360J; another popular unit can only shock at 150J, no more, no less.
7. The AED Plus is also pediatric ready. All that is needed is the children size Pedi Padz.

The FDA is now allowing cardiac defibrillators to be sold without prescriptions, so that they can be purchased by anyone. Although training is not needed to use the defibrillator, it is highly recommended that the individual who decides to place the unit in their home, business, or other site, become thoroughly familiar with it’s use. By doing this, they will be more at ease should an emergency arise and the unit is put to use. Read how easy it is to become familiar with the use of this unit in health hints below.

Health Hints***

The Zoll AED Plus makes this learning process very easy. They provide a CD that gives complete easy to understand course of instructions. They call it the “Emergency University”. After the short course, a quiz is given and if the quiz is passed satisfactorily, they provide a “Certificate of Completion”, which can then be printed out. There is no additional charge for the first individual. For each additional person taking the course, there will be a nominal charge.

Many communities are now passing laws that make it mandatory that public buildings, restaurants, gyms, community centers, or any place that have gatherings of groups of people, have a cardiac defibrillator (AED) on the premises and prominently displayed. They are already on site at airports, airplanes, cruise ships, and are even being carried in the trunks of police vehicles in many jurisdictions where they can be used as first responders. Eventually they will be found in more and more homes, and rightly so.