The cardio-verter defibrillator (ICD) is an implantable device which is used to monitor heart rhythms and deliver shock if and when danger rhythms are detected. The ICD records the heart’s electrical patterns and therefore can easily detect whenever an abnormal heart beat occurs. It is in fact of great aid to the doctors during emergencies and check ups since they behave as reference materials to guide future treatment options.

Patients whose lower heart chambers or ventricles beat very fast is said to suffer from Tachycardia. Then there are those people whose ventricles quiver ineffectively, they happen to suffer from Fibrillation. Then there are patients who are facing impending danger due to prior cardiac arrest, heart failure, or ineffective drug therapy for abnormal heart rhythms. All of these patients make the ideal users of the cardio-verter defibrillator. Further details and information on this account can be obtained at www.DiscountAEDBatteries.com.

The defibrillator comprises of a battery and electrical circuitry that is the pulse generator which is connected to one or more insulated wires. Both of them are sealed together and implanted under the skin, usually near the shoulder. The wires of the defibrillator are threaded through the blood vessels to the heart muscles.
To ensure effectiveness in an emergency cardio-vascular care system, early integrated defibrillation is required. It is called the ‘chain of survival concept’. The process comprises of four parts:

1.    An early access – call the emergency medical services system immediately.
2.    Provide early CPR – the cardio-pulmonary resuscitation is an instant requirement.
3.    Provide early defibrillation – you must have proper equipment at your disposal and also be trained for correct its usage.
4.    Provide immediate advanced cardiovascular care.
In order to ensure early defibrillation, a defibrillator must be readily and immediately available to the emergency personnel who are responding to a victim of cardiac arrest. That is why the airports, stadiums, industry buildings and offices all are equipped with AEDs.

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is the prime risk factor for the occurrence of SCA or sudden cardiac arrest. All those who have been victims of SCA are found to be suffering from some degree of CAD. But unfortunately, until SCA occurs, they do not even come to know that they are suffering from CAD. This is because the CAD is silent and it does not manifest any symptoms.

It is the reason that it has also been found that prior to SCA, the victims has already had a silent heart attack which they haven’t even realized. In fact, the maximum possibility of having an SCA is during the first six months after a heart attack.

Statistics reveal that every year, between 250,000 and 450,000 Americans are said to suffer from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and Ninety-five percent of these people die within minutes. More information regarding the disease and its treatment can be obtained at www.AmericanMedSupply.com

There are several risk factors that aid in the development CAD and therefore gradually lead to the possibility of SCA. They are –

· A habit of chain smoking

· A history of early cardio-vascular disease running in the family. This means a situation where your father or brother is diagnosed with heart disease before the age of 55, or your mother or sister is diagnosed with a heart disease before the age of 65.

· Diabetes

· High blood cholesterol

· Hugh blood pressure

· Obesity and overweight

· Sedentary life style with extreme lack of physical activity

· Age increase – the risk rises after 45 years for men and after 55 years for women.

The factors that genuinely results in SCA are:

· A personal or family history of members having suffered SCA

· An enlarged heart or other birth defects of the heart or blood vessels

· Arrhythmias or abnormal heart rhythms

· Heart failure

· Drug abuse even if it is recreational

Each day around 650 patients suffer SCA related deaths. This number is higher than the deaths reported for victims of lung cancer, breast cancer, stroke, AIDS, all combined. Majority of the deaths related to cardio-vascular diseases are natural outcomes of the SCA and still most of the SCA deaths are found to go unreported.

Ninety five percent of the SCA victims collapse for not receiving medical attention in time. The present survival statistics reveal only 5 % positive results when defibrillation I delivered within the first 5 minutes. But if the treatment is made available within 4 to 6 minutes, the survival rate can be as high as 95 percent. Every minute delay initiates brain and permanent damage.

According to the data of the American Heart Association, 120,000 women fall victims to SCA. Chances for recovery for women are much less compared to that of men. SCA related deaths of women in the age bracket of 35 to 44 have increased in the past few years. But, not so in the case of men. According to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine, the African-Americans are more prone to SCA and also have one percent less chances of survival in comparison to the Caucasians.

The SCA victims do not have usually have any prior knowledge of their risks. Due to lack of awareness, they fail to recognize warning signs even if they have been present. More than two-thirds of the SCA deaths are found to transpire without any previous indication of heart disease.

Just anyone ca be a victim of SCA. They can be healthy infants, the fit and trim high school athletes and the active population in their 30s and 40s without any sign of a possible heart ailment.

Awareness programs must be seriously undertaken. Some cost-effective screening tool must be devised to ascertain the genetic conditions that can cause SCA. Information regarding the survival strategies can be obtained at www.AmericanMedSupply.com.

SCA is caused by the sudden termination of cardiac activity. The victim show no signs of normal breathing or circulation, he becomes non-responsive. It results in sure death if the victim fails to receive immediate CPR and accurate treatment for restoring normal cardiac activity. Relatively SCA is not common in children and young adults. It is also not the leading cause of death in the young group. With prompt support and treatment, the young victims of SCA are more likely to survive compared to the pre-hospital traumatic cardiac arrest that the adults suffer.

SCA in children and young adults is mostly a precipitated outcome of ventricular fibrillation (VF) or rapid ventricular tachycardia (pulse-less VT). They are abnormal heart rhythms that are either typically inherited, or they are congenital cardiac conditions. They can also be the result of acute medical problems which happen to be responsible for the inflammation of the heart. Vigorous exercises and sports activities can also act as a trigger for these fatal arrhythmias.

There is something called the ‘Commotio Cordis’, it is caused by a sudden solid blow on the chest. The young children during their physical sports activities may strike a fatal one on his friend. It may also be caused by a hit of the base ball or the volley ball. This blow results in VT or VF.

The National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research (NCCSIR) states that reports of SCA mostly occur during the training or competition in male and female high school and college sports. SCA related youth deaths comprise of 0.5 to 1.0 per 100 000 high school athletes. The risk factor of the young compared to the adult population of around 35 years is 1/100 to 1/200.

Usage of proper and immediate CPR followed by AED is recommended for SCA in children. Further details are available www.AmericanMedSupply.com.

An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) in the form of ZOLL’s AED Plus features Real CPR Help is a tool which is designed to enable the user to monitor his actions and also provide Feedback to enable him to perform better. Its audio and visual prompts equip you with unmatched clarity and confidence in comparison to other available AEDs. When cardiac arrest strikes, about 50 percent of the victims require shock while the other half needs a CPR. Zoll’s AED Plus doesn’t simply deliver a shock it provides the rescuer with a superior quality CPR. They call it the Real CPR help.

The important features of the AED Plus are:

• A perfect CPR monitoring for the rate and depth of compressions
• A ‘complete chain of survival’ support
• Every victim of SCA can benefit from it, not necessary they require a shock treatment.
• Quick and accurate placement enabled by the ‘one-piece pad’.
• The easy availability of its ‘consumer lithium camera batteries’. They can be obtained from most of the retail stores.
• It has got ‘Intelligent Pediatric Capability’.
• Its AED program management is fostered by En-Pro.
• It operates with Zoll’s Rectilinear Biphasic Waveform.
• It has the ‘Post-Event Electrode Replacement Program’

The characteristic which makes this product unique is its interactive responses.

• 1. Say, if the push is not hard enough, it will prompt you to push harder.
  2. When the push is perfect, it will respond, ‘good compressions’.
  3. Its inbuilt Metronome will guide the user to the required rate if the pushing is not hard enough.
  4. The depth of each compression gets displayed in real time.
  5. If you happen to stop the compressions before schedule the AED Plus will ask you to get started or to continue.

The Zoll AED Plus’ complete revival process together with its intelligent pediatric capability makes it a perfect choice for the medical professionals too. You can view more details on www.AmericanMedSupply.com.

While sudden cardiac arrest is not as common of an occurrence in school-aged children as it is in many other segments of the population, particularly those in their early to middle age, it is something which happens and usually does so without warning.

This is a tragedy which is largely preventable, at least if the proper equipment is on hand. The first few minutes after a cardiac arrest are critical; and it can take some time for emergency personnel to arrive on the scene – by which time it may be too late! Every school nationwide should have several automatic external defibrillators on hand to avert these rare but heartrending tragedies from occurring.

Sudden cardiac arrest is the result of the electrical impulses which regulate the heartbeat and essentially tell the heart to continue performing its vital duty of pumping blood throughout the body being disrupted. This disruption causes in immediate cessation of heartbeat – at this point, the victim is clinically dead and unless action is taken immediately, they will remain so.

There is often not nearly enough time to wait for EMTs or paramedics to arrive in the case of a sudden cardiac arrest. The survival rate in victims of sudden cardiac arrest is less than 10%, unless they can receive immediate attention, typically involving a defibrillator. These devices are quite literally lifesavers and as such should be close at hand in every school.

A variety of congenital heart diseases and abnormalities can lead to incidences of sudden cardiac arrest in the young, especially following athletics and other strenuous activities. Needless to say, every parent of a student athlete must insist that automatic external defibrillators be on hand both at practices and meets or other sporting events for the protection of their and other children.

Sudden cardiac arrest can also happen as a result of strenuous activity combined with rapid growth (such as seen in teenagers). For your child’s sake, you should demand that your child’s school has this equipment.

Automatic external defibrillators also offer an educational opportunity to teaching staff with in schools. Students can be instructed on their proper use, preferably as part of a comprehensive first aid and emergency lesson. If students know how to use this equipment if called upon in an emergency, lives can be saved.

As a parent yourself, you know how important the safety of your children is to you. At your next parent’s night at your school, discuss the option of getting automatic external defibrillators for your child’s school – you can approach school administration about the idea at a PTA meeting or a session of your local school board. These are items which need to be in every school nationwide and can save parents the nightmare of losing a child.

AmericanMedSupply.com is the leading supplier of Automatic External Defibrillators, AED Batteries, AED Pads, AED Cabinets, and AED Medical Direction in the US. Discover how a simple AED can save your life, or the life of a loved one, go to www.AmericanMedSupply.com and get your *free* copy of “AED Life Alert”.

It is a common misconception that sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) and heart attack are synonymous. Well, they are not. Roughly said, heart attack is a ‘plumbing’ problem while the SCA is an ‘electrical’ problem.

The medical term for heart attack is Myocardial Infarction or MI. it happens when there is a reduction or blockage in the blood supply of the heart resulting in severe injury and damage to the heat muscle.

Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes or that goes away and comes back. The victim is basically said to be ‘awake’.

Heart attacks are mostly characterized by a feeling of discomfort in the center of the chest that can be intermittent and lasts for a few minutes. The mild discomfort of unusual pressure, squeezing or a sense of fullness can occur for over a period of days too. These are early warning signs that precede a heart attack and culminate into a crushing pain.

The other specific symptoms include:

• Discomfort and pain in either one or both the arms which spread to the shoulder, upper back, neck or jaw.
• A sense of breathlessness.
• A feeling of lightheadedness coupled with nausea and sweating.
• A sort of overall anxiety.
• A general tendency of denial that there is something serious happening.

The symptoms in women are similar to men but there are a few more additional signs:

• Cold and pale skin.
• Overwhelming fatigue
• Abdominal pain with the swelling of lower legs or ankles.

SCA is a sort of an ‘electrical problem’ that doesn’t allow the heart to function effectively. The heart beat stops all together. Blood is prevented from being pumped throughout the body and that includes the brain. The SCA victim suddenly passes out losing total consciousness and appears lifeless. He is ‘never awake’ and requires immediate help. They might occasionally experience 10 to 20 seconds of gasping and seizure of the arms and legs, that is, the moment blood and oxygen supply from the heart.

Details of expected treatment that needs to be administered can be found at www.AmericanMedSupply.com and www.DiscouontAEDBatteries.com

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is characteristically different from ‘heart attack’. SCA is also known as sudden cardiac death because here the heart unexpectedly and all of a sudden stops beating. As a result, the brain and other crucial organs do not receive blood and the patient surely dies if he does not receive treatment within a few minutes. Whereas, in a heart attack, the heart does not necessarily stop beating. The blood flow to a particular part of the heart muscle is blocked. And the important point is that SCA may well occur during the recovery period of the patient who has suffered from heart attack.

The heart is basically an internal electrical system of the body. An abnormal heart rhythm, which is known as ‘Arrhythmia’, is the outcome due to any particular discrepancy in the electrical system.  Arrhythmias can have different manifestations. The heart can either beat very fast, or very slow or it can totally stop beating. When Arrhythmia occurs causing the heart to totally stop beating, it means that SCA has struck.

When SCA strikes, the initial symptom is a loss of consciousness that is akin to fainting. Simultaneously the breathing stops and neither the heart beat nor the pulse can be felt. Prior to fainting, it has been observed that the victims complain of a racing heart beat, a dizzy feeling or may be just a light head.

People who are victims of SCA call for immediate attention. The situation is so terse that almost ninety percent of people struck with SCA collapsed to death within minutes. The only immediate treatment can be provided with a device called the Defibrillator. It sends electric shocks to the heart in order to restore its functions. Automated External Defibrillators (AED) is widely used to save precious lives and they enjoy huge medical acceptance and are found in strategic places like the airport and office buildings.  More information is available at www.AmericanMedSupply.com

The electrical system of the heart suffers a short circuit due to the sudden strike of a cardiac arrest. The heart begins to quiver instead of pumping in its normal rhythm. This abnormal heart rhythm is known as ventricular fibrillation (VF). As the name suggests, Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) strikes without prior warning. It often happens at home with people who are not well aware of the recognized symptoms of heart disease. In order to ensure the maximum chances of survival, from SCA and caused by VF, a defibrillator must be used within five minutes.

The Philips HeartStart OnSite Defibrillator from ActiveForever.com is manufactured by Philips, the pioneer in portable defibrillation technology. It is designed for the benefit of the ordinary person who unfortunately is a victim of an extraordinary moment. It is the most reliable and easy to use defibrillator available.

It is a small, lightweight defibrillator which weighs about 3.3 lbs. it is fitted with clear and natural voice instructions to guide the user through each step of defibrillation and CPR. It has got Integrated Smart Pads which when placed on the patient’s bare skin. More details can be viewed at www.DiscountAEDPads.com.

The Philips Onsite Defibrillator employs the proven Philips technologies to ensure for heart rhythm assessment (SMART Analysis) and defibrillation energy delivery (SMART Biphasic). Its usage can cover the adults as well as children.

The product is extremely user friendly. The blinking green ‘Ready’ light confirms that eth Onsite has passed its self test and is ready for use. If the defibrillator requires attention, the ‘Ready’ light gets switched off and it ‘chirps’ to issue alert.

The Philips OnSite Home Defibrillator is used to treat SCA victims who fail to breathe properly and are non-responsive. One must remember here that the HeartStart cannot be used by the victim himself. There must be security personnel to offer the treatment. The treatment ought to be supplemented by the CPR. And the most important point, a defibrillator must not be apprehended as a replacement for medical care.

An Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) is a portable device which is used by the patients suffering from cardiac arrest. It helps to restore normal heart rhythm. An AED analyzes the patient’s heart rhythm automatically and offers advice to the rescuer as to whether a shock is indeed required to restore a normal heart beat. The heart is said to be ‘defibrillated’ when it resumes its normal beat.

An AED is a life saving device since it treats victims of cardiac arrest and being a sudden condition it is fatal if not met with immediate attention. Heart attacks cause ventricular fibrillation where the electric signals from the lower part of the heart happen to be ineffective and uncoordinated. The heart pumps very little blood to the body and the lungs. If not treated immediately, it results in cardiac arrest.

An AED comprises of a small computer microprocessor, complete with electrodes and electrical circuitry. The electrodes capture information regarding the patient’s heart rhythm and then the micro-processor interprets it. If found abnormal, that is, if the heart is in a ventricular fibrillation, a defibrillating shock is recommended by the microprocessor. The adhesive electrode pads placed on eth victim’s bare chest deliver the shock into the heart. The shock stops all activity momentarily giving the heart a chance to restart its normal electrical activity. The heart beat becomes effective too. The details can be viewed at www.DiscountAEDPads.com

AED is not recommended to a patient who has a pulse. A person who has an idea of CPR can be trained to use an AED. A medical background is not mandatory. It’s most effectual when proper training is combined with equipment maintenance and quality monitoring. An AED is an effective continuity of the CPR. A victim of SCA loses his chances of survival by 7 to 10 percent per minute that passes without defibrillation. When the revival is available within 4 minutes, it ensures the best chance of survival.