DEFIBRILLATOR

DEFINITION
• DEFIBRILLATION IS APROCESS IN WHICH AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE
SENDS AN ELECTRIC SHOCK TO THE HEART TO STOP AN EXTREMELY
RAPID, IRREGULAR HEARTBEAT AND RESTORE THE NORMAL HEART
RHYTHM.
PURPOSE OF DEFIBRILLATION
• TO CORRECT LIFE-THREATENING FIBRILLATIONS OF THE HEART,
WHICH COULD RESULT IN CARDIAC ARREST.
INDICATIONS
• CARDIAC DYSRHYTHMIAS
• VENTRICULAR FIBRILLATION
• PULSELESS VT
TYPES OF DEFIBRILLATORS
• AED - AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR
• ICD - IMPLANTABLE CARDIOVERTER DEFIBRILLATORS
• WCD - WEARABLE CARDIOVERTER DEFIBRILLATORS
AED
• LIGHT WEIGHT
• BATTERY OPERATED
• PORTABLE DEVICE
• CHECKS THE HEART’S RHYTHM AND SEND SHOCK TO THE HEART TO
RESTORE NORMAL RHYTHM.
• USED IN PEOPLE HAVING CARDIAC ARREST.
• PARTS – STICKY PADS WITH SENSORS, CALLED ELECTRODES
• WORKING PRINCIPLE – THE ELECTRODES ARE ATTACHED TO THE CHEST OF
PATIENT WHICH SENDS INFORMATION ABOUT THE PERSON’S HEART
RHYTHM TO A COMUTER IN THE AED. THE COMPUTER ANALYZES THE
RHYTHM TO FIND OUT WHETHER SHOCK IS NEEEDED. IF IT IS NEEDED, THE
ELECTRODES DELIVER THE SHOCK.
ICD
• IT IS PLACED THROUGH SURGERY IN THE CHEST OR STOMACH AREA,
WHERE THE DEVICE CAN CHECK FOR ARRYTHMIAS.
• ARRYTHMIAS CAN INTERRUPT THE FLOW OF BLOOD FROM HEART TO
THE REST OF THE BODY.
• WORKING PRINCIPLE:- AN ICD GIVES OFF A OW ENERGY SHOCK THAT
SPEEDS UP OR SLOWS DOWN AN ABNORMAL HEART RATE, OR A HIGH-
ENERGY SHOCK TO CORRECT A FAST OR IRREGULAR HEART BEAT.
• IF LOW ENERGY SHOCKS DO NOT RESTORE NORMAL HEART RHYTHM,
THE DEVICE MAY SWITCH TO HIGH – ENERGY SHOCKS FOR
DEFIBRILLATION.
ICD VS PACEMAKER
• PACEMAKER DELIVERS ONLY LOW – ENERGY ELECTRICAL SHOCKS.
WCD
• WCDS HAVE SENSORS THAT ATTACH TO THE SKIN.
• THEY ARE CONNECTED BY WIRES TO A UNIT THAT CHECKS THE HEART
RHYTHM AND DELIVERS SHOCKS WHEN NEEDED.
• WCDS TOO DELIVERS BOTH HIGH-ENERGY & LOW-ENERGY ELECTRIC
SHOCKS.
• THE DEVICE HAS ABELT ATTACHED TO A VEST THAT IS WORN UNDER THE
CLOTHES.
• IT IS PROGRAMMED TO DETECT A SPECIFIC HEART RHYTHM. THE SENSORS
DETECT WHEN AN ARRYTHMIA OCCURS AND GIVES AN ALERT. THEN IT
GIVES SHOCK WITHIN ONE MINUTE. AFTER EACH EPISODE, THE SENSORS
MUST BE REPLACED.
PRECAUTIONS
• DEFIBRILLATOR SHOULD NOT BE PERFORMED ON A PATIENT WHO
HAS A PULSE OR IS ALERT, AS THIS COULD CAUSE A LETHAL RHYTHM
DISTURBANCE OR CARDIAC ARREST.
• THE PADDLES USED IN THE PROCEDURE SHOULD NOT BE PLACED ON
A WOMAN’S BREASTS OR OVER A PACEMAKER.
MECHANISM
• FIBRILLATIONS CAUSE THE HEART TO STOP PUMPING BLOOD,
LEADING TO BRAIN DAMAGE.
• DEFIBRILLATIONS DELIVER A BRIEF ELECTRIC SHOCK TO THE HEART
WHICH ENABLES THE HEART’S NTURAL PACEMAKER TO REGAIN
CONTROL AND ESTABLISH A NORMAL HEART RHYTHM.
PREPARATION
• CPR CONTINUED.
• SWITCH ON DEIBRILLATOR.
• ATTACH ECG LEADS TO THE CHEST.
• APPLY GEL TO THE ADDLES OF DEFIBRILLATOR.
• ATTACH THE PADDLES TO THE CHEST OF PATIENT.
• VERIFY THE LACK OF PULSE
COMPLICATIONS
• SKIN BURNS FROM THE PADDLES
• INJURY TO THE HEART MUSCLE
• ABNORMAL HEART RHYTHMS
• BLOOD CLOTS.