What is a Defibrillator?

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.