Defibrillators



Child Defibrillation

Child Defibrillation

If your child needs a implantable cardioverter defibrillator, you might be wondering what the benefits are, what the dangers are, and what that means for the rest of that child’s life. The implantable cardioverter defibrillator is also known as a defibrillator, or in this case, a child defibrillator. You might wonder if the defibrillator will cure your child’s heart rhythm problem, if the defibrillator will hurt your child, or if the defibrillator will change their way of life. Kid defibrillation can seem like a frightening prospect, but the ICD will improve your child’s way of life, prolong their life, and help them lead a healthier existence.

Kid defibrillation is the result of abnormal rhythm of the heart. The defibrillator will not cure the heart problem because cure means completely eliminate the problem. This type of defibrillation is used as part of the ongoing treatment of abnormal heart rhythm. Each time the rhythm changes for the worst, the defibrillator will automatically work to correct that abnormal rhythm. Doctors use it all the time in their treatment of children and of adults.

They aren’t used for all abnormal rhythm problems, though. The use of kid defibrillation is for when the problem is in the lower part of the heart called the ventricles. They work by delivering a shock to the heart. The shock is not necessarily painful, though many patients describe the shocks and startling or unsettling. The jolt from the defibrillator is a powerful one because it is meant to fix the rhythm and slow it back to a normal pace without delay.  

Related Information

Emergency Medicine
Emergency medical staff are trained to stabilize all patients including heart patients.

Frequently Asked Questions
You can learn about child defibrillation and emergency medicine through our frequently asked questions.

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