Medtronic manufactures the Lifepak 12 Defibrillator, and calls it the most dynamic and diverse device of its kind. It does have a number of features that do make it outstanding. It uses biphasic technology, rather than monophasic, which uses less power and yet delivers two jolts to the patient’s heart instead of one. Since it weighs only fourteen and a half pounds, it is compact and portable. It also offers a variety of pads: the standard paddles, or pediatric ones (for children), paddles, and/or internal pads that can be sterilized.

In these modern, high-tech high-speed days, nearly every aspect of human life is subject to being made obsolete, very quickly. So, another positive feature of the Lifepak 12 is that it can be easily upgraded. New features and enhancements can be added as system changes are needed, and (at least according to the maker) it is at a reasonable price. In addition, it is compatible with QUIK-COMBO pacing / defibrillation / ECG electrodes and it allows for multiple parameter monitoring: stable oxygen saturation monitoring, oscillometric noninvasive blood pressure (NIBP) monitoring among them.

The device is also setup to monitor end-tidal CO₂ (EtCO₂) for patients that are either intubated or non-intubated by using patented Microstream, capnography technology and FilterLine™ accessories. As an added plus, even in a situation of high humidity, all of these features are able to function properly. The Lifepak 12 also has a patented program (the GE Marquette 12SL) for ECG analysis that provides industry-standard interpretation. This will prove invaluable in making treatment decisions for the patient.

As if that isn’t enough, the machine has a regular laundry list of features. Trending of vital signs gives medical staff the ability to rapidly evaluate any changes in the patient’s condition. The condition of the heart and any risks to it are easily tracked, the ST-segment deflection of the cardiogram is measured every 30 seconds, and it has two channels of invasive pressure monitoring with waveform and numeric display. One truly outstanding aspect is its ability to interface with a Bluetooth wireless communication system. This allows for easy transmission of the 12-lead ECG and all patient data.

The Lifepak 12 Defibrillator comes in AED, manual or both, depending on the skill and comfort level of the users. Add in noninvasive pacing, pulse oximetry (SpO2), 12-lead ECG, EL or LCD display, capnography and noninvasive blood pressure (NIBP), and the device can be seen to be an outstanding kind of defibrillator.

Experts agree that Phillips defibrillators help save the lives of individuals having a cardiac arrest. For over a century, Phillips has been providing manual and automatic defibrillators to hospitals, medical centers, schools, businesses, and homes. You’re sure to find a Phillips defibrillator that meets your needs.

If you are looking for a defibrillator, you need to take into consideration where the defibrillator will be used and who it will likely be used on. For children under eight, you’ll need special pads on hand in case of emergency. The pads reduce the amount of energy that passes from the defibrillator into the patient’s chest.

Here are a few of Phillips defibrillators that are available to help you make your choice:

• HeartStart OnSite: designed for use by individuals with little or no training, the OnSite defibrillator is available without a prescription and is the easiest defibrillator to use. At just over three pounds, the defibrillator can be stored or carried just about anywhere. The unit features audio instructions that will guide you through CPR and defibrillation. It can be used on adults and children.

 

• HeartStart Home: most cardiac arrests happen at home, but with the HeartStart Home you’ll be prepared and have a better chance of saving your loved ones. This unit is available without a prescription and an audio voice issues instructions.

 

• HeartStart FRx: rugged and reliable, this defibrillator is a great choice for first responders, businesses, and schools. Designed to work in tough conditions, the defibrillator sends a biphasic waveform to help normalize heart rates during cardiac arrest. Although the unit is small and lightweight, it guides users through defibrillation process even when audio instruction is challenging to hear.

 

• HeartStart FR2+: used by professional responders and response teams, this unit works reliably in public places and other difficult situations. This unit is ideal for responders who have training in life saving skills and who want a quick acting defibrillator.

 

• HeartStart MRx: designed for hospitals and EMS use, this manual defibrillator has the longest battery operation and the fastest shock time.

 

• HeartStart XL: at less than fifteen pounds, this unit can be transported around hospitals to where it is needed. The unit has both AED and manual operation and can be easily switched between them.

 

Whatever type of defibrillator you are looking for, Phillips defibrillators will meet your needs. You may be seeking a unit for your home or school, which means that you should look at a unit that requires little training and is lightweight. You’ll find that there’s a Phillips defibrillator that’ll be perfect for you.

Getting information on defibrillators is very useful in this fast moving world, where threats of cardiac attacks have become really trivial. Defibrillator is the device used in treating the disturbing and uneven movement of the heartbeat normally caused by a heart attack or a variety of other serious illnesses. Therefore, a little information on defibrillator helps in averting heart problems.

How a Defibrillator Works

Gathering information on defibrillators is very simple thing. It uses direct current as to give unsynchronized countershocks to stop ventricular fibrillation. The produced countershocks converts uneven and disturbed heart rhythm in an organized even and affective ways. The system has been administered by pressing a small button on the defibrillator paddles placed at the chest wall. Putting on the pressure to the defibrillator paddles enforces lungs to bring out the air from the chest wall in order to bringing it closer in contact with the heart.

Types of Defibrillators

A defibrillator normalizes heart beat movements caused by a heart stroke or serious illnesses. Getting information on various kinds of defibrillators including Manual external defibrillator, Manual internal defibrillator, Automated external defibrillator (AED), Semi-automated external defibrillator, and Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD) can be helpful. A brief discription of each of them has been explained below.

Manual External Defibrillator

Manual External Defibrillator is a kind of defibrillator with an inbuilt electrocardiogram to detect the condition of the heart. On the basis of diagonis of the heart, clinicians decide the intensity of the voltages to be given to the patient. Normally, electric pressure has been given through the paddles on the chest of the patients. This kind of defibralitor is commonly used in hospitals or ambulances.

Manual Internal Defibrillator

Also used in normalizing the heart beats, Manual Internal Delibrillator is just like normal defilbrillator, where electric charge is usually pumped in by internal paddles in close or direct contact with the heart. Because of its intricate usage, these devices are mainly used in operating theatres, where the chest can be opened or being treated by a surgeon.

Automated External Defibrillator (AED)

Information on defbrillator has become a life-saving treatment for all heart patients. Automated External Defibrillator is used to identify the rhythm of the heart through a computer based setup. The system identifies the need for an electric shock or not. Aiming at the layman usage, the appratus has been designed in such a way so that a common man with little training can operate it. This kind of equipment is generally found in government offices, shopping centres and other public places.

Semi-Automated External Defibrillator

This device carries both the features of full-manuated as well as automated units of defibrillator. Equipped with the AED capabilities, this unit also has an ECG display and manual override in it. Due to its distinguish features, this device is generally used by paramedics and emergency medicine technicians.

Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator

As its name suggests, Implantable Cardioverter-Defbrillator is used as implants and helps in keeping a close watch on the patient’s heart beat rhythm and capable of administering the shocks automatically through its designed program.

Defibrillator has increasingly become an important medical device for people prone to cardiovascular diseases. Information on defibrillators is necessary not only for heart patients but for everyone else is interested in keeping his or her heart healthy and pounding happily.

Defibrillator pads are essential to the operation of a defibrillator. The sole function of a defibrillator is to zap someone’s irregular heartbeat back to a normal, steady, functioning rhythm. The electrodes of a defibrillator are placed in the defibrillator pads. Defibrillator pads help the electrode deliver the energy to the patient’s heart. They act as a middleman so the energy can move to the heart.

To help maximize the amount of energy that gets to the heart and to prevent the skin from burning, emergency technicians place gels between the skin and the defibrillator pads. These gels usually have petrolatum or lanolin. Petrolatum and lanolin create a better transition of energy from the defibrillator battery to the heart.

Defibrillator pads come in different shapes and sizes. They look like mittens without the thumbs and are usually white. Most emergency technicians will carry several different sizes of defibrillator pads. The amount of charge that goes through the pads depends on the size of the pads. A charge that is meant for a full-grown man should not be delivered to a child. A child is smaller and may not be able to sustain the charge.

Using Defibrillator Pads on Kids

Kids are smaller than adults, but they’re not immune to heart failure. Emergency technicians sometimes have to use heart defibrillators on small children. This usually occurs because the child has been through a traumatic experience and needs to have his or heart calmed down. They also may come across a child who does have a heart problem. Some kids are born with heart problems and others experience heart problems as a residual side effect of other ailments.

As mentioned before, kids cannot receive a shock that is as powerful as one administered to an adult. Each shock given to an adult is about 150 Joules. The amount of charge given to a patient is based on the person’s weight. For children, medical technicians use age to determine the appropriate charge. Usually a 50-Joule charge is sufficient for kids that are younger than eight.

Now, we’ve talked about how giving a wrong charge to a child can be fatal. However, the converse is true for adults. Giving an adult a charge meant for a child is insufficient. So it’s very important to get the right defibrillator pads.

To make it easier, some defibrillator producers make children defibrillator pads and conductors that look different than adult defibrillators. For example, Philips requires that all of its children’s external defibrillator pads and connectors look different than ones made for adults. Philips uses a tiered system to identified these products for the right age group. The package containing a child’s connector has a pink teddy bear. This unique packaging is supposed to grab the attention of the emergency responder so they don’t accidentally use the wrong conductor or defibrillator pad.

Defibrillators save thousands of lives everyday, but you may be wondering, "What is a defibrillator and how does it work?" Simply put, a defibrillator is a machine that sends an electrical current to a person’s heart in order to shock the heart back into a normal heart rate. Defibrillators are often used in cases of sudden cardiac arrest.

When a person suffers cardiac arrest, they lose consciousness and cease normal breathing. Although the terms are commonly interchanged, a cardiac arrest is different than a heart attack. Strictly speaking, with a heart attack a person suffers from a blockage of the arteries and may experience chest pain and other symptoms. Generally, heart attack victims do not lose consciousness.

Cardiac arrest is caused by ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. Here, the heart beats too fast and shuts down, no longer pumping blood throughout the body. This can result in sudden cardiac death.

In the past, defibrillators were used only in hospitals because the units were large and expensive. Hospital units are still more expensive than home models and they work by sending an electrical impulse through paddles placed on a person’s chest. Today, however, units exist that are portable and that are implanted into a patient’s chest.

Automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, are becoming more common in places like schools, businesses, and sporting events. These portable units are about the size of child’s lunchbox and can be used by individuals with limited training. In fact, many of these units audibly guide users through a series of steps to help the patient.

The AED reads the patient’s heart rate rhythm and administers an electrical current to the heart. Studies show that the more quickly defibrillation treatment is given, the more likely a patient is to survive. Although CPR can sustain an individual, it cannot restore a patient’s heart rhythm like a defibrillator can.

If someone is experiencing sudden cardiac arrest, call 9-1-1 and administer a defibrillator as soon as possible. Acting quickly can save the patient’s life.

Thus, the question, "What is a defibrillator" is an important one for parents, teachers, and caretakers to consider. A defibrillator can save the life of someone experiencing cardiac arrest.

For many individuals with heart problems, a defibrillator price is easily worth the peace of mind that comes from owning one. The presence of a defibrillator in the home offers the patient, family, and friends the assurance that cardiac treatment is at hand. With new advances in technology and growing affordability, everyone should consider having this important item in their home.

Defibrillators work by giving a dose of electrical energy to a heart in trouble. A unit can help individuals with an abnormally rapid heart rate or no pulse by shocking the heart back into a normal rhythm.

The History of Defibrillators

The use of electrical impulses for heart conditions began in the 1940s. Dr. Claude Beck used the electric shock on a fourteen year old boy who suffered from a congenital heart condition. Internal electrical paddles and a heart drug restored proper function.

A major change happened in the 1960s when portable defibrillators were created. Availability and price kept defibrillators from the home, but they were used in ambulances and medical facilities. As time passed, defibrillators became more common and researchers developed more types. Today, units can be implanted in a patient’s chest, kept in public places, or bought for the home.

Today’s AEDs

Automated external defibrillators can be purchased for the home and should be considered for any patient with a history of cardiac arrest or other heart problem. Units are easy to operate and many have voice prompts to help individuals use the machine. However, you should consider taking a training class so that you’ll be better able to operate it in stressful situations.

Units can be purchased at many online retailers and in some local stores. Although the price of a defibrillator for the home is still over one thousand dollars, this is a small price to pay for the assurance that if a cardiac attack happens, you’re prepared. Studies suggest that over eighty percent of cardiac arrests happen at home. Often the key to survival depends on how soon a defibrillator is used.

Thus, you should consider having a home defibrillator unit in your home. You never know when you might need it. The defibrillator price will more than make up for itself if something were to happen and you could prevent the death of a loved one.