This small device can make a big difference

There’s many a heart-wrenching tale of people  even the athletic and physically fit ones  who suddenly collapse. This is what’s called sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), which  comes like the proverbial thief in the night. SCA (aka ventricular fibrillation) is a malfunction of the heart’s electrical system, causing the heart to suddenly stop pumping blood.

The hearty news is now there’s a device that can assess the heart’s rhythm and perform a life-saving emergency measure if and when and where it’s needed. Recently, media people had a heart-to-heart talk with the guys behind HealthSolutions Enterprises, Inc. which launched Philips’ HeartStart OnSite AED (automated external defibrillator).

Dr. Eligio S.V. Maghirang, president of the Philippine College of Emergency Medicine, notes, “Globally, AEDs are now considered a device for basic life support. Other countries install AEDs in strategic and accessible areas in public places just like how fire extinguishers are. Having AEDs nearby increases the victim’s chance of survival until paramedics arrive.”

Giving their heartwarming support were the top officials of HealthSolutions, Inc.: Ralph Ante, president; Rex Castillo, COO; and Ronnie Herrera, Business Unit director.

You’re familiar with CPR (cardio pulmonary resuscitation), right? But this is not enough to help a victim of SCA. Within minutes after a victim falls unconscious, a “shock” from a defibrillator is needed to bring the heart back to life or restore its normal rhythm. A victim’s chance of survival decreases by seven to 10 percent every minute from the time of collapse.

Desperate times call for desperate measures and so, Philips, worldwide leader in AEDs, came up with the HeartStart
OnSite Defibrillator “for the ordinary person in the extraordinary moment.” It’s the first and only AED available without a prescription, and the easiest to set up and use (more on this later), even by inexperienced or non-techie people who have never seen a contraption like this before. So anybody can help somebody — a loved one, a friend, a neighbor, an officemate, a classmate, even a stranger — who collapses due to sudden cardiac arrest.

Indeed, big things come in small packages (or kits). The very handy HeartStart OnSite Defibrillator weighs only 3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg.). It gives clear, calm voice instructions to walk you through every step of defibrillation, including CPR coaching. Integrated Smart Pads are placed on the victim’s bare skin. These pads are so smart they can sense when they have been removed from the cartridge and when each has been applied to the patient, adjusting the voice instructions to your actions.

HeartStart to the rescue!  Just yank it out of the tool box and it’s good to go. It’s so user-friendly, just pull the green tab to launch the initial self-test. Automatic daily self-tests, including pads, help ensure 
continued readiness. 
If a shock is advised, the defibrillator directs you to press the flashing orange Shock button.

It also advises you to call emergency services and perform CPR. While performing CPR, the defibrillator’s voice instructions can be activated to coach you on the frequency and depth of compressions as well as breaths.

The American Heart Association gives the HeartStart the thumbs-up, calling it the “standard of care” and “intervention of choice,” backed by over 40 published, peer-reviewed studies.

Its patented Quick Shock is among the fastest in class at delivering a shock after CPR. Studies show that minimizing time to shock after CPR may improve survival.  The American Heart Association Guidelines 2005 note, “Reduction in the interval from compression to shock delivery by even a few seconds can increase the probability of shock success.”

HeartStart OnSite can be used on patients of any age, including infants and children. A friendly warning: You cannot use the HeartStart OnSite to treat yourself.

It’s heartening to note that a small device such as this can make a big difference in the lives of those who need it.

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HealthSolutions Enterprises, Inc. is the exclusive distributor of the Philips HeartStart OnSite AED. For inquiries, call hotline number 836-5858 to 62.