Things to Consider When Purchasing an AED

An Automated External Defibrillator, or AED, is a critical piece of lifesaving equipment for schools, public buildings, offices, and even residences. Consider purchasing an AED if you are concerned about the health and safety of individuals in your place of business or at home. These life saving devices are considered to be easier to utilize and more effective than CPR in helping heart attack victims. Countless lives have been saved through an electrical charge to the heart delivered by simply pressing a button. If you are interested in purchasing an AED, there are several items to consider in order to ensure you purchase a defibrillator that best fits your specific needs. Though most AEDs will never need to be used, you'll want to be sure that you have an effective and well maintained device on hand in case an emergency ever does happen.

AEDs 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!

The AED resource Web site Start A Heart suggests that, as with any piece of technology, you first familiarize yourself with the most popular models. There are several companies that market high quality Automated External Defibrillators, including Phillips, Medtronic, and Heartsine. Each of these companies offers similar easy-to-use and highly effective AEDs, though with slight variations. Most are portable and long lasting and offer simple, clear voice instructions on how to restart a heart.

The next thing to consider when purchasing an AED is to look to the purpose of your purchase. Some simple AEDs are meant to be stored away until their call duty, while more sophisticated devices are deployed frequently by rescue professionals. If you are looking for an AED for a school campus, consider purchasing a device that is specifically made for the pediatric use. For example, the Phillips HeartStart comes in different models for children and adults. This is a critical distinction since children may not be able to handle the same impact of a shock to the heart that a grown man or woman can sustain. If you are looking for a device that can safely shock both children and adults, consider finding a machine that has an adaptable setting to accommodate all ages and sizes.

Many individuals are overly concerned regarding the size of the Automated External Defibrillator. Modern AEDs are very small and portable, so those huge, hulking models commonly found in operating rooms or emergency rooms will not take up valuable space and can be easily transported to a nearby location. Also, this size allows the price to be a great deal more affordable than the monsters found in hospitals or doctors offices. Quality AEDs start at about $1,200, though refurbished models can be found for under $1,000.

Regardless or your reasons for purchasing an Automated External Defibrillator, consider doing so today. Your purchase could literally save a life and should not be delayed by any means. If necessary, consider a fundraiser to raise the necessary fees when purchasing an AED for a school, office, or public place. An AED at your fingertips can literally make the difference between life and death when it comes to dealing with heart related emergencies.

Leading Cause of Death in US

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, killing one person every 34 seconds. The term heart disease encompasses more than just one condition. It encompasses eight different conditions affecting the heart, all of which can be fatal.

Those eight conditions are coronary heart disease, cardiomyopathy, cardiovascular disease, ischaemic heart disease, heart failure, hypertensive heart disease, inflammatory heart disease and valvular heart disease.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the failure of the coronary circulation to provide enough blood and oxygen to the cardiac muscle. This is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. It is caused by the shrinking of the small blood vessels that provide blood and oxygen to the heart. This takes place when plague and fats build up on the artery walls, ultimately narrowing them. Certain factors that come into play for someone to suffer from CHD are age, diabetes, high blood pressure, bad cholesterol, obesity, smoking, lack of physical activity and even menopause. Treatments for patients with CHD include a coronary artery bypass surgery, exercise and dieting, quitting smoking and/or minimally invasive heart surgery.

Cardiomyopathy literally means heart muscle disease. Patients that suffer from cardiomyopathy are at risk for arrhythmia or sudden cardiac death because cardiomyopathy is the deterioration of the actual heart and its functions. Treatment for this condition includes a pacemaker, ventricular assist devices, defibrillators and medicine.

Cardiovascular disease involves the heart or blood vessels and is treated by cardiologists, neurologists and thoracic surgeons. This disease was the leading cause of death in the United States and Europe until 2005. This condition has to be prevented starting in childhood with proper eating habits and exercise. Avoiding smoking also helps to prevent cardiovascular disease.

Ischaemic heart disease is the reduced flow of blood supply to the organs due to coronary artery disease. It is usually diagnosed in people that smoke, are older in age, or are diabetic.

Heart failure is the result of the heart not being able to pump enough blood into itself or throughout the rest of the body. Most patients who suffer from heart failure will have shortness of breath when simply walking from point to point. This is due to the failure of the left ventricle which causes obstruction of the pulmonary capillaries.

Hypertensive heart disease includes a number of hypertensive complications that affects the heart. Symptoms are weight gain, fatigue, nausea, bloating, an irregular pulse or swelling of the feet.

Inflammatory heart disease is the inflammation of the heart muscle and the tissue surrounding it. There can be inflammation of the heart valves or inflammation of the muscular part of the heart.

Valvular heart disease involves one or more of the valves of the heart and problems with the valves can occur at birth or can be acquired throughout life due to other causes. Treatment of this condition is with medicine or replacement of the heart valves.

Heart disease, whichever condition a patient has, can be difficult to deal with but can be placed under control if detected early and treated properly.

High Schools and CPR - A Matter of Life and Death

Three hundred people die from cardiac arrest each day while students spend their day in high school classes. Furthermore, about 900 people in the United States die from cardiac arrest every day, making it the largest cause of death among Americans. One of the easiest ways to reduce the number of deaths cardiac arrest claims is to train more people how to give CPR and how to use Automatic External Defibrillators (AED). Teenagers comprise a large group of the population that are often uneducated on these skills. Preparing the next generation through CPR/AED training is quite literally a matter of life and death.

While many schools do offer CPR training to their high school students, most have not made it mandatory to take such courses. What keeps schools from training these valuable skills to their students? Often, class periods are not long enough to teach CPR courses, which typically last at least four hours. Another setback schools often encounter is a lack of sufficient funds to train each and every student. The good news is that these obstacles can be overcome by the use of new training materials designed to reduce the cost and time it takes to train students in CPR/AED. For example, the American Heart Association provides CPR training in schools. Heartsaver CPR In Schools, provided by the AHA, is a great course that is taught by certified instructors on-site at schools. Students learn how to give CPR and use an AED by practicing with a video and following along in workbooks. For more information about this course, contact the American Heart Association.

Another option is using online CPR training classes. These courses are a great method for implementing affordable student CPR/AED training in schools. While there are several online CPR/AED courses on the market, you will want to choose one that provides a no-hassle method of training, by overseeing the entire process from start to finish. These courses should be created and conducted by an AHA or Red Cross certified trainer who can communicate with students that have questions. Keep in mind the overall package when considering a CPR/AED online course. Some online trainers will make the process easier on educators than others, by providing affordable rates, grading the student work, and even sending the reports to the appropriate teachers.

With hundreds of people dying daily from cardiac arrest, schools should be held responsible for providing the basic training needed to help in the midst of a medical crisis. It is my hope that within the next five years all high schools will require students to pass a CPR/AED course. By following this plan we can minimize the effect of cardiac arrest in future generations, and lessen the amount of people affected by this disease every day. If we train students today they can save lives tomorrow. You can help by contacting your local high school today and let them know how important you think it is to train teenagers in these life-saving skills.

Fish Oil In the Prevention of Heart Disease

Studies of fish oils and extract in the form of pills and formulas for heart disease have not been uniformly promising. The best results are for patients with a history of heart attack. In the GSSI Prevenzione Study, 11,000 Italian post heart attack patients on standard medication therapy who took 850 mg of omega-3 fatty acids (present in fish oil) each day had a 45% reduction in cardiac health (GISSI. 1999). In another study extracts of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids also led to a significant reduction in heart attacks in men with heart disease (Burr et al 1989). Contrary to public opinion and to what you read in the papers, however, omega-3 fatty acids will not prevent heart disease.

A recent analysis of the studies of omega-3 fatty acids looked at 41 studies with a total of 36,913 participants (Hooper et al 2006). This analysis showed no reduction in cardiovascular events or total mortality with omega-3 supplementation using fish oils and other supplements. There was a 7% increase in cancer, which was not statistically significant.

In the Study on Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Ventricular Arrhythmia (SOFA) study, 546 patients with implantable fibrillators and ventricular arrhythmias were randomized to receive 2g/day fish oil or placebo. Thirty percent of the fish oil group had their defibrillator go off or died compared to 33% of the placebo group (not a significant difference) (Brouwer et al 2006).

In addition to not helping to prevent heart disease, omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil supplements may even cause harm in some heart disease patients. In the DART-2 study 3114 men with stable angina (chest pain) were randomly assigned to receive omega-3 supplements or placebo. Instead of protection from heart disease, the omega-3 group had a statistically significant increase in sudden death and cardiac death (Burr et al 2003). The excess of deaths was seen more in those taking fish oil capsules than in those eating oily fish. In another study (Leaf et al 2003) 200 patients with a history of a potentially lethal heart arrhythmia called ventricular tachycardia were given omega-3s or placebo. The supplements increased the amount of potentially lethal ventricular tachycardias.

Fish oil supplements or other food products to which omega-3 fatty acids have been added do not prevent heart disease in people without a history of heart disease and have questionable beneficial effects in people with a history of heart disease. I do not recommend taking them unless you have had a heart attack, and in that case you should confer with your doctor since they may exacerbate heart arrhythmias. You can get these effects by eating the foods like fish that contain Omega-3, and people that ate those foods in the clinical trials did better than people who took the supplements. In addition, if you take too many fish oil supplements you might end up smelling like a fish! Better to eat a 4-6 ounce serving of seafood in your diet at least twice a week).

Brouwer IA, Zock PL, Camm AJ, et al (2006): Effect of fish oil on ventricular tachyarrhythmia and death in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators: The study on Omega-3 fatty acids and ventricular arrhthmia (SOFA) randomized trial. Journal of the American Medical Association 295:2613-2619.

Burr ML, Ashfield-Watt PAL, Dunstan FDJ, Fehily AM, Breay P, Ashton T (2003): Lack of benefit of dietary advice to men with angina: results of a controlled trial. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 57:193-200.

Burr ML, Fehily AM, Gilbert JF, Rogers S, Holliday RM, Sweetnam PM (1989): Effects of changes in fat, fish, and fibre intakes on death and myocardial reinfarction. Lancet 2:757-761.

GISSI. (1999): GISS-Prevenzione Investigators (Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Sopravvivenza Nell'Infarto Miocardio). Dietary supplementation with n-2 polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E after myocardial infarction: results of the GISSI-Prevenzione Trial. Lancet 354:447-455.

Hooper L, Thompson RL, Harrison RA, et al (2006): Risks and benefits of omega 3 fats for mortality, cardiovascular disease, and cancer: systematic review. Bmj 332:752-60.

Leaf A, Kang JX, Xiao Y-F, Billman GE (2003): Clinical presentation of sudden cardiac death by n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and mechanism of prevention of arrhythmias by n-3 fish oils. Circulation 107:2646-2652.

A Growing Market in Used Gurneys Examined

Believe it or not there is a market out there just about anything. Think of something, anything and you can bet that right now there is someone out there looking to buy it. So, what about used gurneys? The fact, is that there is a growing market for them and it is increasing every day.

A Growing Market Demand

So, you might ask yourself, what would someone want a used gurney for? The simple answer to that question, is that there are many uses for used gurneys and some of them may surprise you. Also, the cost of a new gurney may be equally as surprising and this is the fuel behind the exploding market in used gurneys.

Overseas and Third World Medical Facilities

The biggest market by far for used gurneys is overseas medical facilities. In places such as many countries in Latin America and African hospitals and clinics they just don't have the financial resources that it takes to buy brand new gurneys. Also, with so many other equally pressing needs, these overseas facilities have to manage their financial resources carefully.

A Growing Demand In Manufacturing

Another surprising use for used gurneys is in manufacturing. It turns out that used gurneys makes excellent vehicles for transporting delicate items around a facility. Be it a piece of fine sculpture or a delicate piece of mechanical or electronics gear, a used gurney contains all of the features that are needed for safe and efficient moving and handling.

A Surprising Number of Choices in Brand Names and Functions

Many people are initially surprised at all the choices that they have in a used gurney when they begin shopping for one. For one thing there are several common brand names that can be found on them. Also, there are any number of convenience features and functions to select from as well, including of course both manual and electronic elevator function.

What is Heart Disease?

UNDERSTANDING THE BASICS OF YOUR HEART AND HEART DISEASE

Understand the basics associated with your heart and blood vessels. Here you will get an understanding of all the different types of cardiovascular disease that can be confusing. Get a basic overview of cardiovascular disease and the conditions that can affect your heart and blood vessels.

You probably hear a lot about preventing heart disease. But maybe you're not sure what heart disease is. Is it the same thing as cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease or other heart terms you sometimes see?

With many medical terms related to the heart and blood vessels, it's no wonder you may be puzzled or confused. Here you will have a chance to brush up on some basic terms about cardiovascular disease (CVD) that can help you stay more informed. This can then help you when you're watching the news or meeting with your doctor.

The first term to know is Cardiovascular Disease or CVD. CVD is a broad term. CVD is a large collection of diseases and conditions.

If you want to be technical, CVD refers to any disorder in any of the various parts of your heart system. Your cardiovascular system consists of your heart and all the blood vessels throughout your whole body.

Cardiovascular disease has two main mechanisms:

Diseases of the Heart (cardio)

Diseases of the Blood Vessels (vascular)

Everything from an aneurysm to a heart attack to varicose veins are all types of CVD. You may be born with a type of CVD (congenital) or you may acquire others later on in life possibly from a lifetime of unhealthy habits, lack of exercise, smoking, and other factors.

Here's a closer look at the two mechanisms of cardiovascular disease.

Diseases of the Heart

The diseases and conditions that affect the heart are in a group known as heart disease. The heart consists of a muscle that pumps blood. Arteries supply blood to the heart muscle, and the valves make sure that the blood within the heart is pumped in the right direction. Problems can occur in any of these areas.

Just like CVD, Heart Disease is a broad term.

Here are the specific types of heart disease:

**Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

**Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)

**Cardiomyopathy

**Valvular heart disease

**Pericardial disease

**Congenital heart disease

**Heart failure (CHF)

Diseases of the Blood Vessels

Blood vessels are in basic terms hollow tubes that carry blood to the organs and tissues throughout your body.

There are 4 basic types of blood vessels:

Arteries.

These blood vessels carry oxygenated blood to all parts of the body

Veins.

These blood vessels carry deoxygenated blood back to your heart. That is why they have a bluish cast to their color

Capillaries.

These are tiny vessels that connect your arteries and veins.

Lymphatics.

Fluid that leaks out of your capillaries in order to bathe your cells.

Here are some types of blood vessel disorders:

**Arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis

**High blood pressure (HBP) or Hypertension (HTN)

**Stroke

**Aneurysm

**Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) and claudication

**Vasculitis

**Venous incompetence

**Venous thrombosis or blood clot

**Varicose veins

**Lymphedema

Heart Disease is a serious condition. Watch your fatty food intake, smoking, as well as your sweet tooth intake. Both can cause serious heart problems.

It is best to start out slow when changing your diet. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables is a great way to start.