In an industrial environment where there is a risk of electrical shocks or any other type of accident, having first aid measures in place to treat victims is essential in order to improve survival rates and provide on the spot aid as quickly as possible. An automated external defibrillator is a critical link in this first aid response and surviving a life threatening accident.
The first minutes after an accident are the most important time in treating the victims, and by having a fully trained first aid tech on site and them, the chances of the accident victim surviving and not suffering long term damage is greatly increased.
In the case of electrocution, the main threat to the person involved is that the shock can lead to a heart attack. The flow of high levels of electricity through the body disrupts the normal electrical patterns that control the heart's rhythm. This causes the heart to lose its natural rhythm and go into a state of cardiac arrhythmia, which can lead to a full cardiac arrest.
The most effective treatment against cardiac arrhythmia after an accident is the use of an Automated External Defibrillator or AED. These devices are similar to the defibrillators that are used in hospitals to treat patients who have suffered cardiac problems, but work in a slightly different way, and are designed to provide immediate on the spot care for victims of accidents.
Probably the most important aspect of the AED is the fact that it can be used by a person without extensive medical schooling, meaning that provided appropriate training has been given to the individual, an automatic external defibrillator can be used in the workplace.
The secret of the ease of use and simplicity from a treatment point of view of the AED is that it is automated. This contains a computer that is able to derive information from the patient's condition, analyse the information it collects, and then diagnose the exact problem. They can deliver a controlled and appropriate electric shock to the patient in order to cancel out the arrhythmia and allow the heart to return to its regular rhythm.
An automated external defibrillator offers a number of features that makes it simple to use and ideally suited to dealing with accidents. Firstly, the device can be used by almost anyone, as most of the functions and diagnosis work is carried out by the computer rather than by the operator, meaning that it will not be affected by the situation. In addition to this, they will provide feedback to the operator. All will determine initially whether any treatment is required, and only shock the patient if its programming advises it that it will be beneficial.
Most of them include a voice and recorder that collects information throughout the period of their usage. This data, which includes the heart condition of the patient as well as the sounds from the environment around the patient can be downloaded and subsequently analysed to make sure that everything possible was done, and that the device worked correctly. The data can also be used to ensure that future generations of them take into account more information to provide better diagnoses and treatment options to give better and ever more advanced treatment to victims.
Because an AED will only shock under circumstances under which it determines that the shock will correct the arrhythmia of a patient, users are protected under good faith legislation in the USA, which means that even if a patient dies as a result of the treatment being applied, the person who controlled and applied the automated external defibrillator cannot be held liable.
The reason why this particular protection is required is that under a high pressure situation, when seconds matter in delivering treatment to save the life of an accident victim, the rescuer should not be put off from doing their best for fear of a negative outcome.
The reason why every workplace should have at least one AED and trained operators is simple. By having an automatic external defibrillator available in the event of an accident that results in heart problems, the chances of the victim surviving are much higher than otherwise. Early treatment is vital in maximising the likelihood of a cardiac patient making a full recovery, and by having the equipment on hand in case of problems, your workplace will be a much safer place for everyone there.
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