The discovery that someone’s heart can be reset with the use of an electrical charge is one of the greatest advances in modern medicine. This idea began around 1888 when Mac William suggested that ventricular fibrillation could be a cause of sudden death. In 1989, Batelli and Prevost discovered that a large amount of voltage supplied to the heart could stop ventricular fibrillation in animals. Other studies completed in the 19th century by scientists promoted the effects of electricity on the heart.
An AED (automated external defibrillator) is a portable electronic device that can determine a person’s heart rhythm. It detects life-threatening problems within the heart and has the ability to treat them with defibrillation. If necessary, an AED can deliver an electrical shock to the heart to restore a normal heart rhythm. When someone suffers from sudden cardiac arrest, their chances of survival drop by 7 to 10 percent with every minute that passes without CPR or defibrillation.
The first successful defibrillation in a human being was reported in 1947 by Dr. Claude Beck. During one of his surgeries, he noticed that his patient was experiencing ventricular fibrillation. He administered an alternating current of 60 Hz and stabilized the heartbeat. This particular patient of hers lived; Defibrillators were created.
An AED has a built-in computer that assesses your heart rhythm, determines if you need defibrillation, and then delivers the necessary shock level. The AED user is guided through this process with audible prompts, visual prompts, or both. Automated external defibrillators are generally sold in kits that contain a power unit, paddle electrodes, and accessories. Each part is manufactured individually and then assembled through an integrated process. Today, medical device manufacturers have created many defibrillators, external and internal, which can add years to the lives of many patients.
External defibrillators can be used in hospitals or emergency settings. The user begins by turning on the defibrillator and applying conductive gel to the patient’s chest or paddle electrodes. The energy level is then decided and the instrument is charged. The paddles are placed firmly on the chest with some pressure. The buttons on the electrodes are pressed at the same time and then an electric shock is delivered to the patient. After this procedure, the heartbeat is monitored to obtain a regular heartbeat. The whole process is then repeated if necessary.
In 1954, William and Kouwenhoven Milnor performed the first closed chest defibrillation on a dog. This process was studied by Paul Zoll in 1956 and made the first success in a human. Qilliam Bennett Kouwenhoven, born in Brookly in 1886, was an electrical engineer and invented three defibrillators and also developed CPR techniques.
The AED (automated external defibrillator) was created in 1978. This particular device is made with sensors that are placed on the chest to decide if ventricular fibrillation is occurring. If detected, the device provides the appropriate instructions to deliver an electric shock. These automated devices have reduced the training required to use defibrillators and have also saved the lives of thousands of people.