April 6, 2005 Test Driving a Home Defibrillator By WALTER S. MOSSBERG
When I had a heart attack seven years ago, I arrived, conscious and alert at a hospital emergency room, where the doctors and nurses proceeded to save my life. In many cases, the standard kind of heart attack I suffered doesn't kill instantly, and offers a decent chance of survival if the patient is cared for properly -- partly because the heart, while damaged, is still beating. But there's another type of heart attack that comes on without warning, leaves the victim unconscious, and kills within minutes if emergency treatment isn't rendered on the spot. It's called sudden cardiac arrest. In sudden cardiac arrest the heart suddenly stops beating, and the patient will die unless it can be started again within a few minutes. According to the American Heart Association, hundreds of thousands of Americans die each year from such cardiac arrest. The main tool for saving these victims is a device called a heart defibrillator, which uses an electric shock to restart the heart's beating. "Cardiac arrest is reversible in most victims if it's treated within a few minutes with an electric shock to the heart to restore a normal heartbeat. This process is called defibrillation," the association explains on its Web site. "A victim's chances of survival are reduced by seven to 10% with every minute that passes without defibrillation. Few attempts at resuscitation succeed after 10 minutes." In cardiac-arrest cases, it's crucial to call 911 immediately so emergency medics can speed to the scene. They can use a defibrillator to shock the heart into beating again. But now, you can also buy a simple heart defibrillator meant for home use by average people without medical training. You can use the device to try to restart a stopped heart even before the medics arrive. It even helps you administer Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). This week, my assistant Katie Boehret and I tested this new device, the HeartStart Home Defibrillator from Philips. The HeartStart was designed to be simple enough for anyone to use, regardless of age, technical skill or medical knowledge. It is clearly marked with directional drawings and language, and even has vocal prompts that guide the user through each step. ... http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/solution-20050406.html Reply with a "Thank you" if you liked this post. _______________________________________________ MEDIANEWS mailing list medianews@twiar.org To unsubscribe send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
