Automated External Defibrilators
When someone has a heart attack, a quick medical response is crucial to preventing death. Every second wasted is that much more time for heart and brain damage to occur. But heart attacks come suddenly and can happen desfibrilador automatico, whether or not a hospital is close. To allow for the quickest possible response to cardiac arrest, some places have Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs).
These devices work on the same principles as the defibrillators used by medical professionals to restart hearts. By delivering a precisely-controlled electric shock to the chest, defibrillators can restart a heart that has stopped, or cause an erratically-beating heart to fall into a normal rhythm. AEDs are designed to be used by people who are not medical professionals. There is no substitute for a doctor with a manual defibrillator, but even in the hands of untrained people, AEDs can save lives.
AEDs are usually placed in locations that have many people pass through, and in particular ones that have many people over age 50, or people who are for some other reason likelier to have heart attacks. They are commonly seen in places like grocery stores and senior recreation centers, but you are less likely to encounter one in places where young, healthy people congregate.
Ideally only someone who has been trained in the use of an AED will use one, but what matters most is a quick reaction. If a trained professional with a manual defibrillator is available, they should always take over the situation. With a manual defibrillator and the right training and experience, it’s possible to more quickly determine what to do. Automated defibrillators require several seconds to measure the patient’s vital signs, crucial seconds a professional could use.
Automatic external defibrillators can save lives. But if you or someone you love experienced cardiac arrest, and an AED was used even though a trained medical professional was available, you may have suffered more as a result. The Philadelphia personal injury lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams can help you determine if someone is liable for this mistake and can help you win damages for your pain and suffering. To discuss your case with a lawyer, contact the Philadelphia injury lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams today.