5 signs of a good defibrillator
Defibrillation is a very important part of the resuscitation procedures carried out for patients with heart issues. Because a defibrillator can bring a person back to life from clinical death, it is worth looking at the technical specifications and quality. This device has to be chosen with great care, considering not only its technical features but also its additional capabilities.
It is possible to resume the blood circulatory system functioning in case of its sud den stop, using a defibrillator, which conducts a strong electrical discharge through the heart muscle. An electric defibrillator is the most modern and effective device which continues to save people’s lives. A chemical defibrillator can be an alternative to an electrical one, but its efficiency is much lower, and the procedure time is much longer
How to choose the best defibrillator?
Selecting the right defibrillator is very important because people’s lives can depend on this device. To choose a quality device, special attention should be paid to a number of the following basic parameters:
- defibrillator type;
- operation method;
- charging rate;
- power;
- battery capacity and charging time.
All of the above basic features play a dominant role when selecting a defibrillator. However, apart from them, special attention should also be paid to the device weight, its size, and its display screen size. To learn more details about the five basic parameters, let us consider each of them separately.
Defibrillator type
There are two types of devices – monophasic and biphasic. A monophasic defibrillator conducts a single charge from one electrode to another. In such a case, it is necessary for the electrodes to be placed on the patient’s body in a certain way. With the biphasic defibrillator, electrode placement does not matter because the discharge is reflected from the second electrode, passing through the heart muscle twice.
Biphasic machines are more effective and widely used, as bipolar impulses provide both depolarization and repolarization of the myocardium.
Operation methods
There are 3 kinds of devices differing in operation methods:
- Manual – used in hospitals and by ambulance crews. An inexpensive and multifunctional option, but very heavy in weight;
- Automated – most often used to provide first aid before an ambulance arrives. They are expensive, very compact and do not require special training;
- Cross functional – devices which combine the two aforementioned operation methods. They are used in outpatient departments and medical centers.
Capacity and charging rate
Electrical discharge capacity should correspond to the fibrillation threshold: be equal to it or be slightly higher. If the discharge is lower, it will not be able to bring the myocardium to the repolarization state, and if it is higher, the process can cause different arrhythmias. The energy capacity of biphasic defibrillators should be no more than 200 J, which is 5,000 V, and for monophasic ones, it is almost 300 J, which is 6,000 to 7,000 V.
The charging rate is the time necessary for the machine to fully recharge. On average, it takes most high-quality devices no more than 10 seconds to fully recharge. Five to 7 seconds is the usual time span after which the device can be used again at its full capacity.
Battery capacity
The machine can also operate with no connection to the electric mains during some time, and its operating time depends on its battery capacity. 1,500 to 2,300 mAh is the average battery capacity. The battery has to be charged for 75 to 90 minutes. There is also a number of certain operating conditions for the device batteries. For example, the battery should not be charged if the charge level is more than 50%. The maximum lifetime for a battery is commonly 500 to 1000 charge/discharge cycles.
Now you know what to pay attention to when choosing a defibrillator: the main parameters and their values, the machine types, their purpose and utilization conditions. Having considered the above information, you can easily make the right choice. However, if any difficulties arise in the process, our sales advisors will gladly help you solve them.
25.08.2017