Why home defibrillators are a good idea?

According to 2018 research, sudden cardiac death (SCD) and arrhythmia account for between 15% and 20% of all deaths worldwide. Today, over 4 million people in the US and 2 million in the UK suffer from recurrent arrhythmias. 

Immediate resuscitation and defibrillation are critical to patient survival. However, medical data suggest that the lack of access to public defibrillators remains sparse, resulting in a low survival rate of those whose lives could have been saved.

Novel technologies open a door of opportunities for innovative approaches and intelligent tools that could answer this issue.

One such is home defibrillators - easy-to-use devices that help reestablish a normal heartbeat. Owning one can make a difference between life and death if your family member, or yourself, experiences symptoms of cardiac arrest.

What are home defibrillators?

If you've ever watched House, Grey's Anatomy, or ER, you couldn't have seen a defibrillator. A defibrillator is an electrical device used for medical purposes that delivers a therapeutical dose of electrical energy. The device is used in life-threatening situations to restore regular heart rhythm.

A defibrillator generally consists of a battery, a capacitor, electrodes, and an electrical circuit that analyzes the heart rate and sends an electric shock if required. Home defibrillators do not differ much from those used in hospitals - except they are smaller and handier for laymen's use.

Also known as AES, i.e., Automated External Defibrillator, this device is suitable not only in cases of a cardiac arrest but also in the day-to-day monitoring of the heart rate and detecting potential irregularities that could indicate heart problems.

When Should You Use a Home Defibrillator?

Unfortunately, heart disease often goes undiagnosed until it is too late. Therefore, purchasing an AED device is advisable to everyone - whether you have experienced sudden cardiac arrest or arrhythmia symptoms, are at risk of a heart attack, have high blood pressure, cholesterol, or diabetes, have any form of heart disease. 

Besides those suffering from heart illnesses, a defibrillator can be a life savior for certain pulmonary patients. Some lung diseases can cause the obstruction of breathing that affects the heart. 

One such respiratory problem is agonal respiration. Agonal respirations are often confusing, as there are no definite signs of patients suffering from this condition. Yet, frequently it is marked by a distinct abnormal pattern of breathing, including gasping, snoring, labored breathing, snorting, and strange vocalizations.

A condition such as agonal respiration can negatively affect the patient suffering from sudden cardiac arrest, as it can worsen the already low oxygen supply in the person's vital organs. 

How is a Home Defibrillator Used?

AEDs are used to revive a patient suffering from a disruption in the heart's activity. For example, conditions such as ventricular tachycardia, dangerously fast heartbeat, or ventricular fibrillation, a fast and irregular heartbeat, are life-threatening, and thus, require immediate treatment.

Suppose you find yourself in a situation where a person's life is in danger due to a cardiac arrest. In that case, your first step is to call medical professionals and initiate CPR by performing 30 chest compressions, followed by two rescue breaths, repeating an ambulance, or automated external defibrillator (AED) arrives.

In case you have a defibrillator near you, here are the six steps for proper, safe, and effective use of a home defibrillator: 

• Turn the defibrillator on as described in the instructions.
• Peel off the sticky pads, attach them to the patient's skin, placing one on each side of the chest.
• Suspend CPR and don't touch the patient as the defibrillator analyzes the patient's heart rhythm.
• The device will assess if the patient requires a shock. If so, press the shock button and do not touch the patient while receiving the shock.
• The defibrillator will let you know whether to continue CPR.
• Continue with CPR until the patient shows signs of life or the defibrillator instructs you to stop so it can analyze the heartbeat.

The AED device will deliver a safe and lifesaving electrical shock to the patient, restarting their heart and causing it to beat usually again. Acting quickly in such a situation can mean life or death. As the passing of each minute without receiving CPR and defibrillation. The patient's chance for survival is reduced by around 10%. 

Moreover, home defibrillators are very easy to use, and you don't need to have medical training to use them. These devices come with a set of instructions, usually in audio form, and tell you exactly what to do when applying an electrical shock to the patient.

To Sum Up

A home defibrillator is a user-friendly and essential device that can save a life of a person suffering from a cardiac arrest or at least maintain the patient's heart rhythm until an ambulance arrives. Whether you or your family member have heart or pulmonary issues or not, buying an AED device is recommended as cardiac arrest can attack anyone - healthy and ill, young and old, women and men alike.