First
discovered by Batelli and Prevost, two scientists physiologists hailing from
Switzerland in 1899, the defibrillator/défibrillateur is a device essential to treat conditions that can
be referred to as life threatening. With conditions as serious as the ones
related to the heart, the defibrillator is a device that is essential.
Defibrillation is a process that is often shown in various TV serials as well
as movies and is hence, something that is a very popular phenomenon and that is
widely known about.
Defibrillation
is used in very serious conditions related to the heart. Conditions that
ultimately affect one's very heart such as pulseless ventricular tachycardia,
ventricular fibrillation, crisscross arrhythmia are the ones that are treated
with the procedure of defibrillation.
In
the process of defibrillation, an electric shock is delivered to the heart of
the patient. The result of this shock is the subsequent depolarization of heart
muscles. This leads to the establishment of the heart's electrical impulse in
the normal way.
A
particular machine is used when this shock is delivered to the heart. This
machine is the defibrillator. There are quite a few different types of
defibrillators such as external defibrillator, implanted defibrillator and transvenous
ones as well.
In
case of any kind of cardiac emergencies, defibrillation is performed. Under
ideal circumstances it should be performed immediately after one recognises
that someone is undergoing any kind of cardiac disruption which may be
indicated by symptoms such as unresponsiveness and lack of pulse.
We
have often seen how big paddles are put on the chest of patients when they undergo
any kind of cardiac disruption. That in itself is a defibrillator. An external
one. Likewise there are internal defibrillators as well. These are devices that
are incredibly useful and have saved millions of lives in the United States of
America itself!
