Automatic defibrillator
Defibrillators are life saving devices that can be placed in any building where the need might arise. Office buildings, shopping malls, and schools are installing defibrillators as insurance policies to prevent deaths in their locations from cardiac arrest. A defibrillator resets the heart's rhythm through the administration of a strong electric shock. Ambulance crews carry semi-automatic defibrillators which they will use when responding to a patient with a heart condition, but automatic defibrillators are available. These are best to be used by laypeople since the device does all of the action once it is opened. The only action that needs to be taken by the rescuer is to place the pads on the chest of the victim.
Automatic defibrillators will monitor heart rate and determine if a shock is needed. If one is, the machine will deliver it after warning bystanders to not touch the victim. This process is repeated until the victim's heart rhythm is restored.
When an automatic defibrillator is accessible in a building it can be pulled out and used to deliver assistance to the victim in the precious minutes that would have been lost waiting for an ambulance crew. When the heart stops working efficiently, seconds matter. In just four minutes, the brain can begin to die from a lack of oxygen, and the only way for the brain to get oxygen is for the heart to pump oxygenated blood to it. By restarting the heart, an automatic defibrillator can prevent brain death which might begin while waiting for the ambulance.
