Defibrillators are tiny, lightweight, portable devices that analyse a person’s heart rate, recognise abnormal heart rhythms, and give an electric shock through the chest wall to someone whose heart has stopped beating. They are the sole therapeutic option for an individual who has had cardiac arrest, in addition to emergency cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Once the heart reaches a particular level of involuntary twitching, or “fibrillating,” the defibrillator will deliver a shock to the organ. If the heart is not in a “shockable rhythm,” the device will not enable therapy to be administered. The survival rate increases from 6% to 74% if CPR is administered within three to five minutes of a patient falling.
Are These Devices Required by Law?
Although its presence outside hospitals can save lives, it is not mandated by law. They aren’t required, so you probably won’t find one unless you’re at a medical facility or hospital. You can see why some individuals may consider it obligatory, given its necessity. As a result, numerous people have started petitions and campaigns to make its presence mandated by law everywhere else, too.
Why Would a Person Require This Device?
A person goes into cardiac arrest because of a disruption in the electrical signals sent from the brain to the heart. Thus, the heart cannot pump blood to the rest of the body. During cardiac arrest, a defibrillator delivers a high-energy electric shock to the heart via the chest wall. Hopefully, the heart’s regular beat will be restored after the electric shock.
A cardiac arrest is very different from a heart attack. To put it simply, a heart attack occurs when blockages form in the blood vessels that provide blood to the heart. When the heart suddenly stops beating, it’s called cardiac arrest.
When Should You Replace This Device?
It’s not the models that are worn out, but the batteries and electrode packs.
Each model has a specified standby time while it is not in operation. While the device is not actively being used, this period can last anywhere from two to five years. This doesn’t mean you have to get a new device, but you must get some new batteries.
You may have to purchase a replacement battery or the electrode pads. The typical battery life span is around five years. Pads cost far less and have an average shelf life of two years. Every time you use a pad, you should throw it away and get a new one. There is a limit to how many times a battery can be shocked before it must be replaced.
How Long Does the Device Last?
The device’s useful lifespan is limited only by the availability of replacement components. Consider the battery, one of several potential factors. In theory, you can get two to five years out of the battery. The pads, however, need to be replaced after each usage. These should be purchased and kept on hand ahead of time so that they may be used again quickly after an event. As long as there is still battery life, the battery may be utilised, and the charge will just decrease.
Batteries in specific models are monitored automatically, and the device’s display will indicate when replacement is necessary.
A defibrillator should be used as soon as a cardiac emergency is detected. The longer it takes to utilise this device after a cardiac arrest occurs, the less likely the victim will survive. They are easier to locate in urban regions with a high population density than in rural areas, where access to medical care is more limited. Elderly individuals live in rural regions and are more prone to cardiovascular issues. More devices installed in certain areas would drastically cut down on cardiac fatalities.
