AED: The Most Valuable Investment You'll Ever Make
How much is a human life worth? If there was a way you can
potentially save a life - perhaps even your own -- with an
investment of just $1,000, would you make the deal? Of course
you would! Thanks to enhanced technology and rapidly dropping
prices, now everyone can have access to the amazing lifesaving
devices known as an automated external defibrillators, or AED.
According to the informative Web site Start A Heart,
automated external defibrillators are lightweight, portable
devices that can jumpstart a victim's heart by using an
electrical pulse called a biphasic shock. Guiding the rescuer
with a combination of simple and clear voice, text and graphical
instructions, AEDs do nearly all of the work, enabling
practically anyone save a life!
AEDs are increasingly found today in a variety of surroundings,
including schools, public buildings and airports all over the
country. Many medical professionals consider AEDs to be more
effective and easier to use than CPR, especially since even an
untrained layman can successfully restart a heart with just the
push of a button. This is excellent news for anyone who
experiences heart problems in the vicinity of an AED. Although
emergency crews are generally quick to respond to heart attack
victims, the time that elapses is often too great for
individuals who are suffering from heart failure. If you worry
about the risk of you, a loved one or coworker suffering from a
heart attack, you should consider purchasing an AED for your
home or office to provide piece of mind. Schools are quickly
jumping on the AED bandwagon as well, choosing to invest in
defibrillators to ensure the safety and protection of their
students, teachers, faculty, and parents. These devices can be
quite handy when faced with a teenager in cardiac arrest due to
an unknown heart problem that is aggravated during a sporting
event or activity. Many teens have fortunately been given a
fantastic second chance at life by an AED.
Though many AEDs are never used, you'll want be sure you have a
high quality and well maintained model in case the day every
comes when you need to save someone's life. Quality
defibrillators, such as the Phillips HeartStart and Defibtech
Lifeline cost around $1,250, while higher end models from Welch
Allyn and Medtronic are just a bit over $2,000. You can often
find a used or refurbished AED for under $1,000. While most
units will simply sit around for years gathering dust, make sure
that you follow the manufacturer's recommended maintenance so
that your AED will properly function should the call to duty
ever come. The life your defibrillator someday saves could even
be your own!