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HEART HEALTH
Si^uld_yp_u_have a home defibrillator?
A:
An automated external defibrillator
(AED) is a portable device designed to
shock the heart of a person suffering from
sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), a condition in
which the heart stops beating without warning. “For select
individuals, AEDs in the home make sense,” says Dr. Vinay
Nadkarni, associate director of the Center for Resuscitation
Science at the University of Pennsylvania School of
Medicine. That includes people known to be at high risk
for sudden cardiac arrest (for example, those with a heart
rhythm disorder), or those who live in remote areas—or
even urban high-rises—where it’s likely to take paramedics
longer to respond to a 911 call.
One recent study found that 70 percent of SCAs occur in
or near the home, usually with other people present. That
means having an AED in the home could be lifesaving.
“When SCA hits, three events must happen quickly:
Someone must recognize die symptoms of SCA, call 911, and
then encourage effective blood flow to the heart,” says
Nadkarni. That restored blood flow can come from chest
compressions (less effective) or an AED (most effective).
If a shock from an AED can be administered within four
minutes of the onset of the episode, it can restart the heart
and save a life. Without an AED shock, the out-of-hospital
mortality rate of patients experiencing sudden cardiac arrest
is 90 percent.
Because these units aren’t cheap (the lowest-priced ones
are over $1,000) talk to your doctor for advice before you
invest in one.
—Tami Kamin-Mcycr
HELP ON
HAND
Th e Philips
HeartStart Hom e
Defibrillator is the
only AED available
for over-the-
counter sales in the
United States. It
costs $1,200 to
$1,400, depending
on the retailer
(amazon.com
and
walgreens.com
are
two such places).
I 9 8 FEBRUARY^ jo ÿ BETTERHOMES AND GARDENS
PHOTO: KRITSADA
