December 1998
The Facts About
Defibrillators |
| A
defibrillator, or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), is the common term for the
medical device which detects and corrects fast and slow heart rates. |
A defibrillator, or implantable
cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), is the common term for the medical device which detects
and corrects fast and slow heart rates. This differs from a pacemaker, which is used for
slow heart rates only.
| The human nervous system controls the heart
muscle’s pumping action through electrical signals. Many people have certain heart
conditions which result in a change of blood flow that is too fast or too slow. The
pager-sized defibrillator includes thin wires, or leads, that detect these changes in
heart rate and carry an electrical charge to return the heart to normal rhythm. Hundreds
of thousands of patients live a normal life and are saved each year with defibrillators
and the immediate correction they provide. |
 |
Even with a defibrillator, patients with heart conditions should be
prepared. Here are some precautions to consider:
- Carry your ICD identification card
- Carry a list of medications and dosages
- Keep emergency phone numbers on hand
- Know what to do when the ICD delivers a shock
- Inform significant co-workers, traveling companions, etc., of the ICD
- When traveling by air, inform airline security personnel of the ICD
- Encourage family members to take a CPR course
Jumpstarters is a support group for Cincinnati-area patients with defibrillators. Once a
month, several nurses and a physician facilitate a gathering of the group. The purpose is
to share information about living with an ICD and related health/social issues.
Jumpstarters meets on the third Tuesday of every month (except December through February),
at either The Christ Hospital or The Jewish Hospital.
If you are concerned about your blood pressure, contact your
physician. If you need a physician, call 1-888-749-DrDr or click here.
The heart hospitals of the Health Alliance -- The
Christ Hospital, The University Hospital and The Jewish Hospital are among the "Top
100 Cardiac Hospitals in the U.S." according to HCIA.
|
Contact Us:
Health Alliance
1-513-585-CARE
. |
