Statistics speak volumes, and given the statistics for heart disease, it’s hardly surprising that the AED, or automated external defibrillator as it’s more commonly know, is gaining ground as a safety item for the American home.
An AED is basically a portable defibrillator. A defibrillator is a machine used to restart the heart in the event of cardiac arrest. It does this by sending a brief but powerful charge of electricity to the heart, causing it to completely shut down momentarily and allowing it to “recalibrate” back to a normal rhythm.
So why would anyone want a defibrillator in their home? Well, as I said, statistics speak volumes, and where heart disease is concerned, bigger volumes you’ll have a tough time finding. Take a look at the following statistics:
- Approximately every 30 seconds someone in the US dies from heart disease.
- Over 2,500 Americans die from heart disease every day.
- Approximately every 20 seconds, an American has a heart attack.
- Over 250,000 people die of heart attacks outside of a hospital setting annually in the US.
- Cardiovascular disease causes close to 6 million hospitalizations each year in the US.
- Cardiovascular disease is the number 1 killer in the United States and has been for many years.
Very sobering, however, an AED is not used on “heart disease” per se, nor is it used for a heart attack victim. No, an AED is very limited in what it can actually do, and what that is, is to re-start the heart after it has suffered sudden cardiac arrest.
The condition that an AED is used for is technically called, ventricular fibrillation. By this is meant that the lower chambers of the heart, called the ventricles, are no longer beating as normal, but instead “fibrillating” or quivering in a fast, chaotic motion. In this condition they are no longer able to pump blood around the body, causing sudden death.
But here’s the rub. Although the AED is not used for other heart conditions, other heart conditions, especially heart attacks, tend to precede sudden cardiac arrest, so having an AED around is more than a good idea if you have a know heart condition.
AED’s were once used only by medical professionals, such as ambulance crews and other medical personnel. But before the mid 80’s they tended to be large, relatively cumbersome, and very technical to use.
Enter the 21st century AED. This new streamlined machine is not only slim, lightweight and consequently portable, it is, as its name suggests, extremely automated, allowing just about anyone to pick one up and use it in an emergency. So automated is it that it can monitor the victim’s heart activity to determine if defibrillation is necessary, then, if so, this AED will walk the operator through the defibrillation process using audiovisual prompts and instructions.
So why have an AED in the home? Well, let’s check out some statistics regarding sudden cardiac arrest:
- Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is a leading cause of death in the US, killing an estimated 325,000 Americans each year
- It is estimated that 95 percent of those who suffer cardiac arrest die before they reach a hospital or other source of emergency help.
- SCA kills on average 1,000 people every day. That’s one person every two minutes.
- Without emergency medical help, SCA leads to death within minutes.
- Victims of cardiac arrest can be saved if an AED is available to deliver an electric shock and restore the heart to its normal patterned rhythm.
Make no mistake, having an AED nearby in the event of a cardiac emergency, especially if you have know heart issues, is perhaps the best life insurance money can buy.
Graham Hobbs is a successful Webmaster and publisher of The Automated External Defibrillator [http://www.defibrillator-automated-external.com], where you can learn more about the new breed of AED [http://www.defibrillator-automated-external.com/aed.htm].
