| Imagine yourself walking hurriedly along the crowded | | | | "clear!." Of course those things cannot be found |
| airport, trying to catch your flight to New Jersey. | | | | outside the hospital or the ambulance and you'd be |
| Suddenly, a man in front of you faints and falls | | | | intimidated to touch it, let alone use it.This is where |
| heavily on the floor. He just had a cardiac arrest. As | | | | portable defibrillators come in use. Immediate aid for |
| people all around start to rush calling for the | | | | cardiac arrest victims is now within reach because of |
| ambulance, you and other people try to perform CPR | | | | its easy-to-carry packaging and its more automated |
| to no avail. Precious minutes pass by quickly, and you | | | | technology. There is no need for complex buttons to |
| soon realize that if the paramedics doesn't get to the | | | | press, and it has instructions that are easy to follow, |
| man on time, he's dead.*Cardiac arrest* is one of the | | | | making just about anyone capable of using it to help |
| leading causes of death in America today. It occurs | | | | save lives.Portable defibrillators should be placed in |
| swiftly and silently, leaving behind a high mortality | | | | public areas like malls, airports, theme parks, hotels, |
| rate where only 5% survive. And despite the best | | | | offices, and schools. It should also be strategically |
| trained emergency responders like firemen and | | | | located along fire extinguishers or public pay phones |
| paramedics rushing as fast as they can, the | | | | for easy access. Because four out of five cardiac |
| unfortunate reality is that most of its victims die | | | | arrest occurs at homes, it is also advisable to keep a |
| before reaching the hospital or while they wait for | | | | portable defibrillator handy to be used in emergency |
| the ambulance. That is often the case in cities that | | | | cases. Explaining to your kids when and how to use it |
| have traffic jams like New York.When someone has | | | | can spell the difference between the life and death |
| a cardiac arrest, the disorganization of the heart's | | | | of one of your family members.In 2003, it was found |
| pumping rhythm causes it to be unable to contract | | | | that the use of these portable defibrillators by |
| properly and makes an abrupt interruption of blood | | | | volunteers in public areas gave a significant increase |
| circulation. This results to oxygen deprivation to the | | | | to the rate of cardiac arrest victims surviving |
| brain, unconsciousness, and inability to breathe. Within | | | | compared to those who only received CPR. The said |
| 3 to 4 minutes, the victim's brain is likely to be | | | | study was funded primarily by the National Institutes |
| damaged. For this reason, it is very important that | | | | of Health Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute with the |
| emergency medical treatment is given immediately in | | | | American Heart Association. In Milwaukee, where |
| order to resolve the condition. The most common | | | | about 1,000 people joined a training program for the |
| first-aid treatment for cardiac arrest is the | | | | proper use of the portable defibrillator, it was |
| cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR, and | | | | reported that the state already had a cardiac arrest |
| defibrillation.Defibrillation helps revive the heart by | | | | survival rate of 9%.Soon, portable defibrillators will be |
| sending rapid jolts of energy to shock the heart back | | | | a common sight in public areas. People will be more |
| into its rhythm. A cardiac arrest victim's chances of | | | | familiar on its importance, and almost everyone will |
| survival goes up by 10% with after every minute of | | | | know how to use it properly. So the next time you |
| its use. We are familiar with how they are used as | | | | find yourself in the mall or in the airport, keep a |
| we see them frequently in hospitals, ambulances, and | | | | vigilant eye on all emergency areas for that small |
| on television shows like Rescue 911 and hospital | | | | glass case that contains a portable defibrillator. |
| dramas like Grey's Anatomy and ER. But we know | | | | Knowing where one can be found is very important |
| that it's very heavy, and we need to be sufficiently | | | | in case an emergency occurs. Who knows, the next |
| trained to use it, like the doctors who mutter barely | | | | life that could be saved might just be yours. |
| coherent instructions on its voltage and then shout | | | | |