Heartstart Defibrillators - Should Every House Really Have A Heartstart Defibrillator?

There seems to be a tremendous push for safety lately. I’ve seen countless articles written about how to buy the safest car seat, or which cars performed best in crash tests, or how essential it is to have an escape plan in case of a house fire. I don’t discount how important these things are, and applaud the fact that these safety issues are being brought to the forefront. But it seems odd to me that people don’t hesitate to spend extra money making their cars and homes safer, but seem to balk at the idea of spending money on a home defibrillator, like the Heartstart Defibrillator.

In case you’ve never heard of the Heartstart Defibrillator, it’s an at-home defibrillator - the only one currently available without a prescription. It literally can mean the difference between a person surviving sudden cardiac arrest or not, yet most people have never heard of it or balk at the price tag or don’t think having an at-home defibrillator is really necessary.

So, who really should buy something like the Heartstart Defibrillator? Is it really necessary for EVERY home?

If someone is young and healthy and has no history of heart trouble, they may not need to purchase the Heartstart Defibrillator (especially if money is tight.) Although sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at anytime, there are risk factors associated with it (such as age, a history of heart problems, etc.) and if someone does not have these risk factors, they may feel comfortable getting by without a Heartstart Defibrillator in their house. Also, people living alone may choose not to buy one, since they obviously will not be able to use it on themselves should they go into sudden cardiac arrest. In addition, if someone has severe financial problems and can barely make ends meet, they should perhaps wait until they are in a better financial state before buying an at-home defibrillator.

However, if there is even the slightest risk factor in a family for sudden cardiac arrest and it is not a financial hardship, I believe getting an at-home defibrillator is one of the smartest moves you can make! I sincerely hope that none of you reading this article will ever be in a position to use it, but I think the peace of mind that comes with this product alone is worth the price tag.

In conclusion, who should buy a Heartstart Defibrillator? Ultimately, it’s a personal choiceand is up to the family. It is not necessary for every home, but definitely could prove life-saving in those homes that have a family member who is at risk for sudden cardiac arrest. My motto is “better safe than sorry”, especially when it comes to the safety of your loved ones. But my advice, think it over and do the research to find out if getting a Heartstart Defibrillator is right for you.

Visit http://heartstart-defibrillator-reviews.com to learn more about this life-saving product and to be offered a chance to purchase the product at $800 off list price!

The Automated External Defibrillator: Become Aquainted With It - Before You Need To

The automated external defibrillator is a computerized medical device, the sole purpose of which is to restart a person's heart after they have suffered cardiac arrest. When conductive pads or "paddles" from the machine, are placed on the victim's body, the defibrillator can detect and monitor the heart beat to determine if defibrillation is necessary. If it is, after a short set up time, it will deliver an electric shock through the chest wall to the heart in an attempt to "kick start" it back into a normal, healthy rhythm.

Definition

If you are unfamiliar with defibrillators, and unsure of the term “defibrillation”, here is a brief explanation. Sudden cardiac arrest is, as the name suggests, the sudden cessation of a regular heartbeat. When a victim suffers sudden cardiac arrest it is often due to an arrhythmia (a fluttering, chaotic, and very weak "beating" of the heart muscle). It can be triggered by various things, such as:

 

• a previous heart attack,
• congestive heart disease
• a swift impact to the chest area
• others

 

When the heart is in this condition it is "fibrillating" (the noun is "fibrillation"). The defibrillator attempts to stop this fibrillation. It does this with an electric shock, that shuts down the heart momentarily and allows it to "reboot" and recalibrate to a stable rhythm.

History

Defibrillators are not new. In fact they were first used in the mid-1900s. But it was not until recently that new technology has elevated these devices to new heights. They can now be portable, lightweight, easy to use, and affordable to pretty much anyone. They do come by different names, such as: automated external defibrillators, AED's, automatic external defibrillators, and portable defibrillators.

Statistics

Every day around 600 people in the US die of sudden cardiac arrest. One of the reasons that tally is so high is the suddenness and rapidity with which it claims its victims. This is because, when cardiac arrest occurs, the heart ceases to efficiently pump blood around the body, effectively shutting down the oxygen supply to the vital organs and the brain. Once this happens, the person has only a few minutes (between four and six on average) before brain and body death begin in a direction that soon becomes irreversible.

Treatment

The two (and probably only) effective medical remedies are:

1. CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) - in which the rescuer deeply depresses the chest area in rhythmic, successive motions, in an attempt to regain a pulse and begin the heart beating normally again.

2. Defibrillation - in which one or more electric shocks is delivered to the heart, stopping it momentarily, allowing it to recalibrate and gain the needed momentum to begin again a stable, rhythmic beat.

CPR, in this type of situation can help the victim. However it is no substitute for defibrillation.

The defibrillator can actually determine for the rescuer (by analyzing the heartbeat - or lack of one) whether or not CPR is a good idea, and then audibly direct him or her through the process. It can also determine if defibrillation is needed, and again, walk the rescuer through the steps necessary.

The ideal scene would be to have both available, but given a choice in the matter, obviously an automated external defibrillator has to be it.

Training

As you can see from the above, training in the correct use of an automated defibrillator is not wholly necessary as they are able to give a rescuer on the spot directions . However, training is recommended. In the first place it is good to know the layout of the machine and its controls before having to use it. Secondly, it is a good idea to know the exact steps you're going to need to take in an emergency situation. For this reason manufacturers of AED's do offer training resources. Training is also available from: the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, the National Safety Council, the American Health and Safety Institute, and more.

Conclusion

Sudden cardiac arrest is a serious health threat in this country as well as many other parts of the world. With heart disease the number one killer in the US, mortality rates from sudden cardiac arrest look to increase over the next decade or two (unless poor dietary habits and regular exercise routines become part of our everyday life).

Enter though the new breed of defibrillator. With these devices now available to the man or woman in the street, we have a chance to save many lives that might otherwise have been lost, and gain back some control in our continuing war against cardiac arrest.

If you or a loved one have known heart problems, an automated external defibrillator on hand may very well, one day, save your life.

Graham Hobbs is a successful Webmaster and publisher of The Automated External Defibrillator, where you can learn more about the new breed of defibrillator currently on or entering the market.

Death Could Be Less Than a Heartbeat Away - Without an Automated External Defibrillator

The automated external defibrillator is, amazingly, still a device that is not commonly known about. I say amazingly, because the ailment it treats is one of the most insidious killers in the US today. That is, sudden cardiac arrest.

Heart disease comes in many forms, some brought on by bad living habits - such as eating too much fried or fatty food, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, etc. Other forms of heart disease are congenital, meaning they are present at birth. And still others, to this day are still unresolved as to their cause.

There is however, one ailment of the heart, above all others in its impact on life. That ailment, is sudden cardiac arrest. It claims over 250,000 American lives a year, and given the current eating habits in the US, looks only to get worse. I say that because our eating habits now tend to produce or accelerate heart disease.

Although sudden cardiac arrest can claim the life of anyone, young or old, sick or seemingly well, it is much more prevalent among people who already suffer one or more of the heart diseases mentioned above.

Sudden cardiac arrest, in its basic definition, is simply the cessation of regular heart activity in an individual, suddenly and unexpectedly. Its triggers can vary -- from sudden, blunt impact to the chest area (as in the case of a baseball player being hit in the chest by a baseball traveling at 90 mph), to clogged arteries, as in the case of heart attack sufferers. The outcome, however, is about 95% of the time, unchanging. Death of the victim.

This inevitability is due to the speed with which a victim dies. It is less time than would normally take a medical crew to arrive at the scene. If the victim is without a heartbeat for more than approximately 4 to 6 minutes, brain and body death begin. Between 6 and 10 minutes and you may as well read the last rites.

If a defibrillator is used, survival rates increased dramatically (up to around 75%).

What is an automated external defibrillator?

The automated external defibrillator is a machine that is easily portable and able to administer an electrical shock to the heart muscle, basically kicking it back into a regular, synchronous beating activity.

A defibrillator, until the mid-80s, would only have been found in medical facilities and medical emergency vehicles. They tended to be cumbersome, technical to operate, and could be a danger to the operator if not used correctly.

Enter the automated external defibrillator

The newest versions of these machines are small (about the size of a baseball mitt), so easy to operate a child could use one, and safe for the operator. Great technological strides indeed have been made in recent years, resulting in external automated defibrillators that can be used in the home, in the office, and in public gathering places such as stadiums, churches, sports arenas, etc.

For people who have known heart conditions, these are the best thing to come along since the invention of the wheel. They can allow them mobility with safety, and assurance in the knowledge that if cardiac arrest strikes, there is a machine at their side that any bystander or family member could use to save their life.

As you can probably tell by now, automated external defibrillators need to be in more homes, offices, and public gathering places than they currently are. To do this more public awareness is needed about the automated external defibrillator. They are actually the greatest insurance policy someone with heart disease (or even without) could have against this insidious killer.

We can reduce unnecessary deaths from SCA dramatically if more people have available to them an automated external defibrillator, and if more public officials are made aware of the need for automated external defibrillators in schools, colleges, and universities.

If you can see the urgency and need, why not forward this e-mail to your congressmen or congresswoman, and your friends and family.

It is still true that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Having an automated external defibrillator available for use in a cardiac emergency is like having a pound of prevention and a ton of cure. That might be something to strive for.

Graham Hobbs is a successful Webmaster and publisher of The Automated External Defibrillator, where you can find out why a defibrillator could one day save your life.

A New Breed of Defibrillator Makes Its Debut Into The American Home

A defibrillator is a device that is used to restart the heart in the event of cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest, is the sudden and usually unexpected cessation of normal heart activity.

Defibrillators come in two main classes or categories. The internal defibrillator and the external defibrillator. These obviously speak for themselves, one being implanted in the body and the other used externally.

Implanted defibrillators are about the size of a mini-cassette and are placed normally above the heart in the chest cavity. They are fully automated, monitoring heart activity 24/7, and lay ready to deliver life-saving electric shocks to the heart in the event the carrier suffers sudden cardiac arrest.

External defibrillators on the other hand, are normally portable (these days), being used in medical facilities, emergency medical service (EMS) vehicles and, more recently, in public gathering places, homes and offices.

Up until the mid 80’s defibrillators were large, somewhat cumbersome devices found only in a hospital or EMS setting. They had to be worked manually, meaning a trained operator had first to determine if defibrillation was appropriate for the victim’s symptoms, by checking for a pulse and running through a laundry list of other qualifying procedures.

Due to major advances in cardio technology and electrical component miniaturization, the modern defibrillator is but a shadow of its former self. Smaller (a modern external defibrillator is about the size of a baseball mitt), fully automated and portable, these devices can now be operated even by untrained hands.

The external defibrillator first monitors the patient's vital signs to determine if defibrillation is necessary, before audiovisual prompts walk the rescuer through the necessary steps of the defibrillation process. These machines will even determine if CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) is appropriate, and if so, guide one through the entire procedure.

Relatively recently home-use defibrillators were approved by the FDA, and could be had with an accompanying prescription from a qualifying doctor. But recent developments in the technology have seen the FDA approve a home use defibrillator that can be purchased without a prescription. The Philips home-use AED (automated external defibrillator) can now be bought over the counter.

Why would you need a defibrillator in your home, you might ask. Well, look at the statistics - sudden cardiac arrest claims more lives in the US annually than traffic accidents, house fires, hand guns, breast cancer, prostate cancer and AIDS... combined. This could explain why the portable defibrillator seems set to become a regular “household” item in line with other preventatives like fire extinguishers, seat belts, smoke alarms, crash helmets, etc..

Defibrillators will no doubt continue to evolve, but for now at least we have reached a welcomed milestone in their development. A place where the man in the street can have access to a medical tool that alone may save his life.

Cardiac arrest allows its victims less than ten minutes without defibrillation before death is a foregone conclusion. The modern defibrillator, with its automated, audiovisual aids, has the credentials to reverse that scenario by offering immediate onsite defibrillation. Defibrillation that can be administered by a family member, friend, co-worker, or even a bystander or passerby.

If you don’t yet own a defibrillator, it might be something to consider.

Graham Hobbs is a successful Webmaster and publisher of The Automated External Defibrillator, where you can learn more about the new breed of personal defibrillator showing up more and more in the American home and office.

This Movie is a Real Heart Stopper, So Grab Your Defibrillator!

At first glance you see the name Robert England and there is a glimmer of hope! This movie does make your heart beat, but will you go flat line? Will you need a sexy young nurse to resuscitate you? If your a horror movie enthusiast, grab your cell phone and tell some friends to come over! Make sure they bring their straight jackets!

Yes! Many will call this a cheesy horror movie flick! One thing you should know before you start flogging tomatoes at your tv screen, is that you get to see Robert England! There have been rumors of a Freddy Krueger come back, but it has not surfaced to the big screen. When the Freddy Krueger movies came out, I was just a teen, and the first one scared the abyss out of me!

The filming in this movie was well done, and the acting was average, but if you like a lot of blood, the movie does deliver. The tag line for the movie is: Each beat may be your last... In the movie's defense, I will say it is better than most of the direct to dvd videos on the market. It is hard to have your expectations met easily, with a B flick! I was just happy to see Robert England, since he is a horror movie icon from my teenage years! Freddy Krueger did leave a nice deep gashing wound on our gray matter with his razor sharp blades!

I have to agree with other comments online, that the plot is hurting and bleeding from the heart! Again, the movie is worth it just to see Robert England! Anything with him in it will be a collectible! Good or Bad! The movie just keeps moving at a fast pace in most sequences, and the girl who plays the main character is attractive. Sara Wexler(Meredith Henderson) plays a teenager who was not going to make it through high school. Incidentally, Meredith Henderson is from Canada and I have noticed some very hot women, starring in horror movies from Canada!

The pressure of her classmates calling her names, nearly lead to a successful suicide attempt, which opened the doors for Mr. Satanic Serial-Killer(James Binkley) to choose his sexy young victim. What he called his vessel, because his body needed a new one fast! I cannot help it! I have to see at least one hot girl in a horror movie, because it actually helps me make it through the boring parts, to the next scene!

Not to bring you back to any bad memories, but I am sure your reading this, and can recall some horrific teen experience. Maybe a bad relationship, demanding teacher, over protective parent, friends getting killed in an accident, and remember riding your bike while a rabid dog is chasing you! I can see the foam building around the lips of the demon dog now! Hence, the one good point of this heart stopping horror flick, is those lovely, unforgettable teenage years! My dad always said if you live through your teenage years, your lucky!

Chambers (James Binkley) plays a good psychopath role and he reminds me of a sick and twisted Vin Diesel, recovering from rehab. He does present a powerful masculine deep voice and is voracious with his killing spree. When you watch this movie, you will notice he does a good job for a B movie. This is the first movie, where I have seen so many bloody hearts, that I lost count! If you love seeing someone with a cool tattoo, strong muscular build, stick his hand like a spear, into a persons chest and rip out a fresh pumping, blood spurting heart, then you have a winner! This movie really does get to the heart of the matter.

Does this movie have its finger on the kill switch? I will let you be the judge of that! I know there is some soul out there, lurking in the deep shadows of the night, waiting, yes, waiting for the ultimate horror movie, the one that will touch you as Freddy Krueger first did and leave you in the tender arms of Michael Myers of Halloween. In the mean time, we take them as they come. I had a mortician once tell me, that there is a lot of stiff competition out there! The horror directors need to stand up, take Viagra and rise to the occasion for a plot, that kills us!

DeWayne H. Strickland has been a Film Freak since the time he could walk. He is a crazy movie review critic and researcher. Learn How to Seduce Women, with Almost "Hypnotic Control" and "Accuracy" at: http://www.moviedownloadmatrix.com