Automated External Defibrillators

Paper Summary:

Automated external defibrillators (AED's) are essential tools in health care and emergency services. It is a portable automatic device used to re-establish regular heart rhythm to patients in the event of cardiac arrest. This paper examines how their use has become popular and how, though they have been proven to have potential in saving lives, there are still important issues regarding their use and education that have to be addressed. It attempts to show how the success of AEDs in the health industry depends on the effectivity of awareness and educational programs.

Outline:
Introduction
Automated External Defibrillator Use
Issues Regarding Automated External Defibrillator
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"AED's are small computing devices, electrodes, and electrical circuitry. The electrodes collect information about the heart's rhythm. There are specific AED's designed for children, which deliver milder shocks, and for adults. When the heart is exhibiting ventricular fibrillation, the computer prompts for the delivery of a defibrillating shock to the heart through the victims' chest wall (Liddle et al, 2003). Ventricular fibrillation is detected and electric shock delivered through the AED's electrodes imbedded in adhesive pads which are placed on the victim's body. A critical element in the successful use of AED is the placement of the electrode pads because they are the tools for detecting heart activity as well as the channels for the actual defibrillation (Beckers et al, 2005). "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Automated external defibrillator (2006). Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia. [online]. Available from: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automated_external_defibrillator> [Accessed 2 October 2006].
• Beckers, S., Fries, M., Bickenbach, J., Derwall, M., Kuhlen, R., Rossaint, R. (2006). 15 minutes training enough to save lives with an automated external defibrillator. [online]. Available from: <http://www.medilexicon.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=19408> [Accessed 2 October 2006].
• Bertola, G. and Boeri, T. (2001). EMU Labour Markets Two Years On: Microeconomic Tensions and Institutional Evolution.
• Firstcare Training (2006). Workplace First Aid. [online]. Available from: <http://www.firstcaretraining.co.uk/workplaceFirstAid.html> [Accessed 2 October 2006].
• Food and Drug Administration (2004). Automated External Defibrillator (AED). [online]. Available from: <http://www.fda.gov/hearthealth/treatments/medicaldevices/aed.html> [Accessed 2 October 2006].

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