Portable defibrillators are saving lives.
Portable defibrillators are saving lives.
May 18, 2000 (Washington) -- We've all seen the dramatic scenario re-enacted on television shows or films many times. A machine called a defibrillator delivers a life-saving burst of electricity and restores a stricken heart patient to a normal heart rhythm.
The reality, though, is that such heroics don't happen nearly often enough, according to researchers meeting here at a medical conference here. New studies show that the use of portable defibrillators could substantially reduce the toll from sudden death in the U.S., which now stands at about 350,000 annually.
"Early defibrillation [or shocking the heart] is the key to survival," says Robert Myerburg, MD, director of the division of cardiology at the University of Miami School of Medicine. He says it's reasonable to think we could cut the sudden death rate caused by heart problems by 10% yearly, sparing about 35,000 lives.
However, it's estimated that less than 10% of patients survive this scenario, which often produces the deadly rapid heartbeat known as ventricular fibrillation. While CPR can sustain someone, only an electrical shock can convert the heart to its proper pace.
On the flip side, if a person is fortunate enough to get defibrillated within two-minutes of an attack, the survival rate is about 50%. Waiting for an emergency rescue team takes precious minutes and decreases the survival rate dramatically.
From police cars to playgrounds to airplanes, these defibrillators appear to be making a difference. Perhaps, the most ambitious experiment with the laptop computer-sized devices is under way in Miami. Starting last year, all 1,900 police cars in the city and county area were equipped with defibrillators at a cost of $5 million.
It's still early in the experiment, but investigator Myerburg says this first-of-its-kind effort has already cut response time and saved lives. "Police on the road in a large city can save anywhere from four to five minutes," Myerburg says. A defibrillator has two pads that stick to a patient's chest, and a verbal and visual display prompts the operator what to do. The device has been called "idiot proof" by some and can be operated by someone with virtually no medical training.
A Shocking Way to Save Lives
May 18, 2000 (Washington) -- We've all seen the dramatic scenario re-enacted on television shows or films many times. A machine called a defibrillator delivers a life-saving burst of electricity and restores a stricken heart patient to a normal heart rhythm.
The reality, though, is that such heroics don't happen nearly often enough, according to researchers meeting here at a medical conference here. New studies show that the use of portable defibrillators could substantially reduce the toll from sudden death in the U.S., which now stands at about 350,000 annually.
"Early defibrillation [or shocking the heart] is the key to survival," says Robert Myerburg, MD, director of the division of cardiology at the University of Miami School of Medicine. He says it's reasonable to think we could cut the sudden death rate caused by heart problems by 10% yearly, sparing about 35,000 lives.
However, it's estimated that less than 10% of patients survive this scenario, which often produces the deadly rapid heartbeat known as ventricular fibrillation. While CPR can sustain someone, only an electrical shock can convert the heart to its proper pace.
On the flip side, if a person is fortunate enough to get defibrillated within two-minutes of an attack, the survival rate is about 50%. Waiting for an emergency rescue team takes precious minutes and decreases the survival rate dramatically.
From police cars to playgrounds to airplanes, these defibrillators appear to be making a difference. Perhaps, the most ambitious experiment with the laptop computer-sized devices is under way in Miami. Starting last year, all 1,900 police cars in the city and county area were equipped with defibrillators at a cost of $5 million.
It's still early in the experiment, but investigator Myerburg says this first-of-its-kind effort has already cut response time and saved lives. "Police on the road in a large city can save anywhere from four to five minutes," Myerburg says. A defibrillator has two pads that stick to a patient's chest, and a verbal and visual display prompts the operator what to do. The device has been called "idiot proof" by some and can be operated by someone with virtually no medical training.