This is how you learn to use a defibrillator to save lives

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It is very likely that you have seen them

.

They may not be in an easily accessible place, but there was a sign at the entrance with the phrase

.

And it is that for a few years defibrillators have been sneaking into crowded places or places of special risk without making noise, and they are gradually becoming

.

But with one peculiarity, and that is that most people would use a fire extinguisher when the time comes but they would not do the same with a

... out of fear.

If you are one of these people, I ask you to read on.

At the end of the article, I am sure that you will have lost your fear of using a defibrillator when the time comes.

Is it possible that you have a defibrillator nearby right now?

In Spain, according to the study carried out by Almas Industries, there is

The cardioprotection of common spaces has increased in recent years, since according to this same study throughout the country we have gone from 10,000 defibrillators in 2019 to 33,000 in 2021. Despite this, we are

.

Are there different types of defibrillators?

Yes. To begin with, there are

, the implantable pacemaker type, and external ones, the ones we see used in the movies.

In turn, the

ones can be divided into two large groups: the

, which are the ones used by health professionals, and the

It is precisely these last two that you can use in an emergency: their size is similar to that of a shoe box, they weigh approximately two kilograms and their price exceeds one thousand euros.

Unlike the manual ones that have several functions, the

: to

if necessary while the emergency services do not arrive, in a time that is vital for their survival.

What exactly does a defibrillator do?

Give an electric shock to try to "reset" the heart

and get it beating normally again.

Our heart muscle works thanks to a series of electrical impulses that are generated within the heart muscle itself, but when that natural pacemaker fails, it needs external help.

This help is given by the defibrillator that, thanks to its battery,

it contains and that we must stick on the patient's chest.

How do I know when I have to use it?

If you are faced with a person who has lost consciousness, who does not respond to your questions, does not move, has no signs of life, does not breathe or does so in agony and you cannot feel his pulse in his neck or wrist, it's time to use it.

and ask someone present to bring you the defibrillator urgently.

How is a defibrillator used?

Ideally, you should complete a training course lasting a few hours, but if you haven't had the opportunity to do so yet, here are the steps to follow:

1. Call 112

to report the situation.

2. Remove the clothing from the victim's chest and stick the two patches

included in the device in the way you will see drawn on them.

If another person is present, they should be performing cardiac massage while you do all of this.

3. Follow the voice instructions of the device

, which after analyzing the victim's heart rate will decide whether to apply the shock.

If so, it will ask us to press a flashing light while moving away from the victim.

4. After the discharge

, and until the defibrillator tells you otherwise, continue with the cardiac massage.

What if I use it and the person didn't need it?

Nothing happens, you just have to replace some new patches.

Using an AED or an AED will never be harmful to you or the person to whom it is placed if you follow the voice instructions that the device will give you in a clear and simple way.

You

, you are not going to harm anyone by placing the patches, it is the device itself that will decide if the patient needs to receive that electric shock or not.

So, when in doubt, the answer is always yes, turn it on and put the patches on.

If you or I were to put on the defibrillator patches right now and turn it on, nothing would happen,

.

It is totally safe.

The ambulance arrives right away, what if I wait for them to put it on just in case?

Doing so would be a very serious mistake that will probably condition the survival of that person

.

Every twenty minutes in Spain someone dies of cardiac arrest outside of hospitals.

, and the only way to solve it when it occurs is by using a defibrillator.

But if we wait for the ambulance to arrive for them to do it, the success rate will be low no matter how soon they arrive.

, but after five minutes that chance drops to 50%.

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