Heart defibrillators are used to treat cardiac arrest--a disease in which the heart stops beating due to several reasons. They are used to treat cardiac arrest caused by irregular heart beats--heart beats that are too fast or erratic. The role of the defibrillators in this type of cardiac arrest is to make the heart beat normally again by delivering electrical energy to it. There are three types of heart defibrillators, and they could be manual or automated.
MED-Manual External Defibrillator
The manual external defibrillator is a medical device that has paddle electrodes or adhesive pad electrodes attached to it. "Civetta, Taylor and Kirby's Critical Care," by Andrea Gabrielli, A. Joseph Layon and Mihae YuIn explains that to use a manual external defibrillator, the user should be able to analyze heart rhythms and determine how much electrical energy to deliver to the patient. To use this device, the electrodes are placed on the chest of the patient according to the manufacturers instructions. Then an electric shock is delivered. If paddle electrodes are used, the user has to hold the paddles down on the patient's chest, while someone else administers the electric shock. But, this action is eliminated when adhesive pad electrodes are used because they stick to and stay on a patient's chest by themselves.
AED-Automated External Defibrillators
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute reports that automated external defibrillators are portable devices that analyze the cardiac arrest patient's heart rhythm. It also decides if an electric shock needs to be given. This kind of defibrillator comes with sticky electrodes that are placed on the patient's chest. Once the automated external defibrillator is switched on, it delivers voice prompts or instructions to its user. First, it checks the patient's heart rhythm via the electrodes attached to the patient's chest. If it decides that an electric shock is needed, it prompts the user to deliver it.
ICD-Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator
The implantable cardioverter defibrillator is a small device that is about the size of a pager. It is surgically implanted into a patient's chest or abdomen and connected to the heart with wires. This device monitors the heart's rhythm through these wires. When it detects irregular heart beats, the implantable cardioverter defibrillator sends electric shocks to the heart that may stimulate it to beat normally.
References
- "Civetta, Taylor and Kirby's Critical Care"; Andrea Gabrielli, A. Joseph Layon Mihae YuIn; 2008.
- "ACLS for EMT-Basics," Michael Smith, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and Mike Smith; 2003
- "Advanced Cardiac Life Support: A Guide for Nurses"; Philip Jevon; 2009
- The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: What Is an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator?
- The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: What Is an Automated External Defibrillator?
