If you have been wondering whether getting a home AED to improve the chances of a heart attack victim survival, then in this article we will go over portable defibrillator training, and why it is very likely that it will tremendously improve the chances that your home AED will be extremely useful.
We will use here the findings of a decade long study which focused on use of portable heart defibrillator in home settings and public settings. Although the findings were generally highly positive, indicating that use of AEDs increase the chances of heart attack victim by 100% when compared with just using CPR techniques.
However, the same study showed some disappointing facts when broken down by whether the AED was used at home or in public. Home defibrillator AED users for some reason were much less successful in using AED effectively.
In this article we will argue about two points that could explain the findings. First, in public situations, only 30% or so of people actually come forward and help the heart attack victim. Second, the increased level of CPR and AED training can improve the skill and therefore the courage to actually go ahead and use the AED machine. Combined, these two indicators will point toward the argument that taking defibrillator training for home AED users is essential.
Point #1 – Only one in three of the bystanders will step up and help a victim of the heart attack
This statistics is disheartening on the surface, however, it points out to the fact that, likely, people are just too afraid to act because they want to "do no harm" first. This, incidentally, is the first rule of medicine as well. So by doing nothing, at least they are not making things any worse for the victim.
How does this apply to the fact that home AED use was not highly successful? Well, in public, there is that one third of the population that is actually willing to help. Chances are, therefore, that qualified help will be available, are much higher in public than in a home, where often aren't many people around, let alone a person with the qualifications to use CPR and AED. The "self selection" of the person most qualified to help in public brings the success rate up.
Point #2 – CPR and AED training improves the confidence and the skill to help a heart attack victim
How can one bring the success rate of using CPR and AED home? By insuring that at every time, there is someone at home who is trained and confident in their ability to help a heart attack victim. What this will do is increase the chances that at a time of cardiac arrest, the person who is qualified and courageous enough to help will be around. By employing AED and CPR training, home AED users can bring the anticipated AED rescue success rate closer to the AED success rate found in public places.
If you have been wondering whether getting a home AED to improve the chances of a heart attack victim survival, then in this article we will go over portable defibrillator training, and why it is very likely that it will tremendously improve the chances that your home AED will be extremely useful.