You do not harm a person who is breathing if you deliver CPR. In fact, it is better to be safe than sorry. You would rather deliver CPR to a person who is breathing than to later find out that their heart stops beating or they experience cardiac arrest, SCA, or a heart attack.
If you notice that a person stops breathing or their pulse ceases, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, called CPR is an emergency treatment that may help save their life. Their heart muscle cannot pump blood to the rest of their body, including the lungs or brain, during SCA. Without care, death often occurs in minutes. An essential factor to note is that a heart attack is not the same as cardiac arrest.
When blood cannot flow to the heart, a heart attack occurs. An individual who is experiencing a heart attack can still speak and breathe.
A heart attack raises the chances of cardiac arrest or SCA. How does CPR increase the chances of survival and living a normal life? CPR imitates the pumping action of the heart by using chest compression. These compressions aid in the circulation of blood in the body and muscle. To practice CPR, you do not require a specific qualification or formal medical training, but you do need the necessary knowledge.
Do not be alarmed if anyone close to you suffers from cardiac arrest or SCA — you can prepare yourself for the situation. If you see a person who is having a heart attack, take the following steps:. Sudden cardiac arrest, SCA, is a risk that may occur during pregnancy. In the past, people have been confused on how to handle this situation, including healthcare providers. Fortunately, this is no longer the case and there is an answer of how to handle the situation when arrhythmia, sudden cardiac arrest, or ventricular fibrillation occurs to a pregnant person.
Can you use an AED? Can you perform CPR? The American Heart Association issued detailed guidelines on the complex topic of sudden cardiac arrest during pregnancy, which is based on scientific news. The frequency at which sudden cardiac arrest occurs is unknown. According to resources, cardiac arrest, or the sudden failure of heart function triggered by a disruption of the electrical system of the heart, occurs in one out of every 12, pregnant women admitted for delivery in the United States.
According to relevant news, there are steps that people can take to save pregnant women who are experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. The first step is to dial and inform the healthcare provider that the woman is pregnant and at risk of sudden cardiac death. This is going to notify the emergency medical system, which dispatches additional EMS personnel and transports the person to a hospital or health center capable of performing an emergency C-section if required.
If external defibrillators, AEDs, are available, it is safe to use. One does not need to be afraid of causing harm to the unborn infant. The electrical shock of the defibrillator or cardiopulmonary resuscitation does not threaten the life of the child in any way. There is a greater risk of sudden cardiac death if a person does not use an automated external defibrillator on the patient.
But often only defibrillation can restore the heart's normal rhythm. Together these treatments can improve your chances of survival.
If you see that someone has fainted and suspect that he or she may need an AED :. The home AED comes with an instructional training video that shows how to use and maintain the device. If you buy an AED , everyone in your home should watch the video and review it periodically. Police and ambulance crews carry AEDs , and they're commonly available in many public places, including malls, office buildings, sports arenas, gyms and airplanes.
However, many cardiac arrests occur at home, so having a home AED can save precious minutes in reviving a person with ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. Proponents of home AEDs say putting them where they're needed most will save many lives.
But critics argue there's no reliable evidence that home defibrillators save more lives. For some people who have a high risk of cardiac arrest, having an AED can provide peace of mind and might help save their lives.
Here are some things to keep in mind as you consider whether to buy an automated external defibrillator:. If you get an AED for your home, make sure that family, friends and visitors know where it is and how to use it. And you need to maintain it properly. Here are some tips for buying and maintaining your home AED :. AEDs offer a way to save a life. Before buying one, talk to your doctor and do research. And don't forget to learn the basics, such as CPR. There is a problem with information submitted for this request.
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Sign Me Up. Print This Page Click to Print. Staying Healthy. Children's Health. Free Healthbeat Signup Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox! Sign Up. Close Thanks for visiting. They are used on victims who suffer a sudden cardiac arrest and are often found in public areas such as schools, offices, shopping centres and sports clubs. What is a PAD? They are the same as a normal defibrillator but are designed for public use and are often found in areas that are hard to reach by emergency services such are remote towns and villages.
Having a PAD installed in a remote area can save precious seconds when delivering emergency care to someone who has suffered a sudden cardiac arrest which in turn saves more lives every year. How do you use an AED? Clear written and verbal instructions guide any user through the process via a step-by-step process when someone has suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and they cover everything from CPR to fibrillation. Many defibrillators have clever features that monitor background noise and give prompts so that if you are in a loud, public space you can always hear the prompts.
They also notify when someone is delivering correct care so that you know you are following the right procedure. Inside AEDs you will find step by step instructions which show how to set the equipment up and with AEDs being automatic, they will also administer the shock for you. Working exactly the same as an automatic external defibrillator AED , a semi-automatic AED still delivers an electric shock to someone who has suffered a sudden cardiac arrest however, the shock is not automatic.
Semi-automatic defibrillators notify you if a shock needs administering which then requires you to press the button. They can be used by anyone regardless of whether you have medical training or not and when compared to an AED are the same in all other aspects aside from the manual pressing of the button. How do you find Defibrillator locations? Finding where your nearest defibrillator is located whether you want to find out where the closest one to your home or workplace is gives unprecedented peace of mind.
Thankfully, there are a number of ways to find out if there is a defibrillator located near you in your area. A range of websites are devoted to finding defibrillator locations where you can view on a UK map your closest device.
Often when walking in public areas you will notice public access defibrillators installed as they are easily recognisable thanks to their bright colours and the universal defibrillator symbol. How does an AED work? An AED works by scanning the hearts rhythm to determine whether a shock is needed and if so will automatically administer one.
AEDs automatically administer a shock taking the pressure off someone delivering emergency care and will never deliver a shock if one is not needed. Cleverly scanning the heart, if a shock is needed they simply give a warning sign and shock the patient.
How much does a Defibrillator cost? Defibrillators vary in price. Can I get funding for a PAD? It is possible to receive funding for a public access defibrillator.
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