An AED is an automated external defibrillator. If you’ve watched t.v. shows, especially hospital/medical shows, you’ll see medical personnel applying pads to a patient’s chest. Then they give the patient a “shock” or jolt of electricity. This is hopefully to revive the heart. So, do you need one at home? That’s what I often wonder. My husband is at high risk for heart failure but there are pros and cons to having a defibrillator at home. First off, I need to know how to use it. I do fear that I would not properly use it under pressure. I live far from the hospital so I know that an ambulance wouldn’t necessarily get to our house in time. Here is advice from consumer reports:
Learn CPR if you live with someone who has coronary heart disease.
Home AEDs may be worthwhile for people at increased risk, especially those who live far from an emergency room. (But if you live with someone at high risk, also consider learning CPR since some cardiac arrests won’t respond to an AED.)
Home AEDs are also worthwhile for people who face such a high risk of cardiac arrest that they actually need an implanted version of the device but lack insurance to pay for that option.
According to the Mayo Clinic, this is when you need a defibrillator at home:
Your risk of sudden cardiac death. If you’re at high risk of sudden cardiac death due to a specific heart rhythm problem, your doctor will likely recommend an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) rather than an AED. An ICD is implanted in your chest and connected to your heart via a wire that can deliver a shock when needed.
Your living arrangements. You need someone with you to use the AED if you go into cardiac arrest. And the person needs to be agile enough to get on the floor to use the device and get back up. If you live alone or if the person you live with can’t get up and down, a home AED might not make sense.
Your costs. Home AEDs can be expensive and aren’t usually covered by insurance.