What is Cardiac defibrillator?

Question

I have a homework about cardiac defibrillator. How to use it and when to use. How it is being done? Any help please...........

Answer 1

Defibrillation is a medical technique used to counter the onset of ventricular fibrillation, (VF) a common cause of cardiac arrest, and pulseless ventricular tachycardia, which sometimes precedes ventricular fibrillation but can be just as dangerous on its own. In simple terms, the process uses an electric shock to stop the heart, in the hope that the heart will restart with rhythmic contractions.Uses
Defibrillation is a technique used in emergency medicine to terminate ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia. It uses an electrical shock to reset the electrical state of the heart so that it may beat to a rhythm controlled by its own natural pacemaker cells. It is not effective for asystole (complete cessation of cardiac activity, more commonly known as "flatline") and pulseless electrical activity (PEA). Ventricular tachycardia with a pulse is treated with medication (if hemodynamically stable), or syncronized cardioversion (if hemodynamically unstable).

The equipment used in this process is called a defibrillator. The "sync" function must be deactivated, otherwise the machine will be searching for an organized R-wave to synchronize the shock with. Defibrillation is part of advanced cardiac life support (ACLS).

The purpose of defibrillation of ventricular arrhythmias is to apply a controlled electrical shock to the heart, which leads to depolarization of the entire electrical conduction system of the heart. When the heart repolarizes, the normal electrical conduction may assert itself, in which case the ventricular arrhythmia is terminated. However, if not enough energy is used for defibrillation, the heart may not be completely depolarized, in which case the ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation may not be terminated. Also, if the heart itself is not getting enough oxygen or if there is an instability of the electrolytes in the cardiac cells, the ventricular arrhythmia may recur.

The shock is generally conducted through the heart by two electrodes, in the form of two hand-held paddles or adhesive patches depending on the variety of the defibrillator. One electrode is placed on the right side of the front of the chest just below the clavicle, and the other electrode is placed on the left side of the chest just below the pectoral muscle or breast. Open-chest defibrillators also exist, which have electrodes in the form of two cup-shaped paddles that surround the sides of the heart and shock it directly. Open-chest defibrillators generally require less energy to operate due to direct contact with the heart.

Although the process of defibrillation can be repeated, the number of attempts is, in practice, limited, to a series of three or four attempts at increasing energies, as the likelihood of restoring normal heart rhythm is much less in successive attempts

Answer 2

An implantable cardiac defibrillator (also known as ICD) is a small electronic device that sends an electric shock to the heart to stop abnormal, fast heart rhythms. The ICD is used to treat life-threatening heart rhythms that lead to sudden death.

The device is inserted under the skin in the chest or abdomen. The procedure is similar to that of a pacemaker insertion. One wire is connected to the heart and another is connected to the defibrillator unit. The defibrillator unit monitors the heart rhythm, sends an electrical shock and keeps a record of the events.

Answer 3

Google Automatic External defibrillator

In short terms, it is a battery powered, electronic device that when connected correctly, monitors the electrical impulses given off by the heart. If it detects that the heart is currently in "defib." it charges its capacitor, and administers an electrical shock to the heart.

The AED has saved millions of lives. Without it heat attack survivors would be few and far in between.

In my ambulance, in Washington State, my AED is a little more complex than the ones you find in the mall, or other public places. Those AEDs, you simply hook up, by looking at the simple pictures, push the on button, and off it goes
(On some models, you also have to push an "analyze" button, and perhaps a "shock" button but you will be instructed to do these things by the unit)

On my unit, all these things can be configured manually. My unit also displays and prints EKGs, from a simplier 4-lead read, in whch 4 sensors are placed on the patient, to a 12-lead, where you guessed it, 12 sensors are placed.

As to when to use it? Attach the thing as soon as you realize someone is having cardiac arrest, or in simplier terms, a heart attack.

Answer 4

Fibrillation is when your heart is out of sequence. It just looses it's natural beating rhythm and quivers in your chest and pumps no blood. A defibrillator shocks the heart into rhythm again and is sometimes the only thing that can save your life.

Answer 5

It is a machine that delivers and electic shock to the chest wall in cases where the heart appears to have stopped beating. The rational for this is that fine ventricular fibrillation may seem like arrest. A paddle is placed on rt upper chest and one on left lower chest and currents from 100-300 joules are sent through the chest and heart.

Answer 6

Please see the webpages for more details on Defibrillator.