Cardiology

Certain heart diseases and illnesses can cause irregular heart rhythms. Irregular heart rhythms can lead to cardiac arrest, and in most cases, death. There once was a time when people who were born with these sorts of diseases or illnesses would have a very short, uncomfortable, and unhealthy life. But for people in first world nations, those days are long gone. Originally, the machines that helped treat irregular heart rhythms were large and immobile. But now there are machines called Automated External Defibrillators, or AEDs for short. These devices are small machines that can sense the irregular heart rhythms and send an electrical shock to the heart in order to fix it. It will not jumpstart a heart that has stopped. That is not their purpose. Rather, it is supposed to correct certain lethal rhythms that will eventually lead to cardiac arrest.

These types of devices work automatically. That means that it has sensors that will detect any irregularities. As soon as those irregularities are measured, the small electrical shock will go directly to the heart. That gives the heart a chance to establish a regular rhythm on its own. According to the American Heart Association, the use of these devices in accordance with CPR increases the chance of survival by almost fifty percent. Cardiac arrest is often caused by irregular heart rhythms that must be corrected as soon as it happens. Often, people die of heart attacks because medical rescue workers simply cannot reach the patient in time. That is why portable and external defibrillator can be so critical for certain people at risk.

 

Related Information

AED Backpack
An AED backpack allows the AED to be completely portable.

AED Awareness
Anybody who wants to promote national health should encourage AED awareness.