Automated External Defibrillators (AED) (cont.)
Medical Author:
Joseph Sciammarella, MD, FACP, FACEP
Joseph Sciammarella, MD, FACP, FACEPDr. Sciammarella graduated from American University of the Caribbean in June, 1985. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine, and the American Board of Emergency Medicine and has practiced Emergency Medicine for 19 years. Medical Editor:
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical EditorMelissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology. IN THIS ARTICLE
MultimediaMedia file 1: This is a heart tracing (ECG) of a person experiencing ventricular fibrillation. Ventricular fibrillation is the most common ECG finding when an adult suffers cardiac arrest.
Media type: ECG Media file 2: Ventricular fibrillation can be successfully treated with defibrillation. 
Media type: Photo Media file 3: Minutes count. For every minute that a person in ventricular fibrillation is not defibrillated, the chances of resuscitation drop by almost 10% per minute. 
Media type: Chart Media file 4: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can temporarily provide some oxygen to the brain. 
Media type: Photo Media file 5: The Chain of Survival involves Early Access to 911, Early CPR, Early Defibrillation, and Early Advanced Life Support. 
Media type: Photo Media file 6: Call 911 immediately when an adult is found to be unresponsive. 
Media type: Photo Media file 7: CPR buys some time until a defibrillator becomes available. 
Media type: Photo Media file 8: Early defibrillation is the most important link in the Chain of Survival. 
Media type: Photo Media file 9: Early advanced life support is the last link in the Chain of Survival. 
Media type: Photo Media file 10: Manual defibrillators are used by trained health care professionals. 
Media type: Photo Media file 11: In the 1970s, portable defibrillators began to be used outside the hospital by many Emergency Medical Services systems. 
Media type: Photo Media file 12: Automated external defibrillators allowed defibrillation to be performed with a minimal amount of training. 
Media type: Photo Media file 13: The use of AEDs by police units allowed defibrillation to be performed even before the ambulance arrived. 
Media type: Photo Media file 14: Ventricular fibrillation victim Julie Lycksell, an operating room nurse, was resuscitated with an AED by Suffolk County, New York Police Officer James Briarton. 
Media type: Photo Media file 15: See how easy it is to use an AED. 
Media type: Presentation Media file 16: One AED manufacturer provides a pediatric electrode cable that allows the AED to be used on children younger than 8 years. 
Media type: Photo |
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Automatic External Defibrillation »
Kouwenhouven showed that electrical shocks applied to dogs within 30 seconds of an induced ventricular fibrillation (VF) could produce a 98% rate of resuscitation; however, those shocked after 2 minutes of VF had only a 27% resuscitation rate.
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