Philipps Heartstart Defibrillator any good??

[bobbie416]

Just read about this. Said every home should have one. Since hubby has afib and daughter had mitral valve repair- I am wondering what the scoop is on these? Anyone know anything and how much they cost etc.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Ours was. Our dearest daughter was with us . We are so thankful for her recovery- even with all the little gliches along the way. I have every faith all will be well.

Blesssings to you all.
bobbie (mom of Janine, MVP Repair NYU- Dr. Cuifffo

 

[tobagotwo]

From Phillips, they go for from $2,200 - $3,500. Then there are accessories and service plans...

Another place has a variety of manufacturers, and theirs go from $1,800 to $11,600.

This place has some much cheaper ones, but they may be refurbished or old models for all I know: http://www.doralmedical.com/Defibrillator.htm


This looks like something you would want some real understanding of in order to choose well. Definitely over my head for a quick answer.


Good luck and best wishes,

 

[RCB]

Consult with cardiologist

Consult with cardiologist

Bobbie,
I think that only your doctor would be in a position to tell you if this
device would be of any use to your family. A "defibrillator" is designed to help
mostly when somebody is in SVT, not AF or the heart has flat lined (no electrical signal). Your daughter with a young health heart with an isolated
mitral valve problem would unlikily to suffer from SVT or a flat line event. Same with your husband, unless there is some underlying rhythm problem in
addition to the AF. These device are best used when someone has ischemic
heart disease and the heart goes in to SVT or flat lines.

I think there is a lot of "Puffing" that goes on in sales of these devices.
Some of these medical device dealer are like used car dealer ( my apologizes
to any used car dealer here) and will say anything, including fear tactics to
get you to buy something.

Your doctor is your best bet, unless he owns stock in the company

I know it must be a terrible worry, having two loved ones with heart problems- good luck.

 

[tobagotwo]

Good point, to determine if you really do need one at all.

I would like to second RCB's other statement, too. One of the recurrent themes to sales of defibrillators in many shops is that in order to even get a price, you have to talk to a salesman.

Which means they are selling you not just the defibrillator, but also its price...

Best wishes,

 

[bvdr]

My personal take on this is the push to have layman friendly defibrillators more readily available is that, in situations of cardiac arrest, the chance of effectively bringing someone(adult) back to any quality of life with CPR alone is very slim. If someone is in ventricular fibrillation then the most effective treatment is defibrillation......and very quickly after it has begun!

In the case of SVT, I don't think counter-shock should be used in a home setting. Maybe someday but not yet. A person could be trained to use it but it is not without significant risks. In the ER we would always sedate any concious individual before cardioversion. A person with pulseless v-fib is always unconcious so sedation wasn't necessary.

On Bob 's list, I have used a few of the models listed and like the Lifepak 7 and Lifepak 10 the best as they are sturdy and easy to use.

About a dozen or so years ago I functioned for a while as the nurse liason between the Emergency Department and the rescue stations in our surrounding counties. It was during the time that some of the departments in our area were first outfitting the ambulances with defibrillators. I was responsible for doing the initial training and, with one of our ER physicians, certifying that the EMTs were qualified to use the equipment. It was not a difficult skill to learn but they were to be used for defibrillation only.

 

[bobbie416]

A litle too rich for my blood too. I had no idea they were so expensive. I guess I am just being a mother and wife- and since I have been living with health problems with my husband since we were kids ( now going on 40 years!) and now my daughter- I just wanted something that would reassure me that I had on hand.

Janine has been doing really well since her surgery June 7th. She gave us a few scares- some erratic heartbeating episodes that sent us into flashback mode but she seems to be OK now. I think the cardio doc said he caught some SVT's when he made her wear the holter monitor-but she is back on her beta blockers. Had One really bad episode she wrote about here and then two small ones since.

As I read here there seem to be some gliches after surgery and she went right back to normal life with two toddlers-doing everything that entails. I think she took on a bit too much. We also called the surgeon and he didn't seem to think there was real cause for concern but we are always cautious and I tell her- when in doubt call.

I still get so scared..

thanks for all the info.

Blessing to all,
bobbie

 

[Missy]

How does the average lay person determine what is the cause when making the decision to use a defibrillator in an emergency situation and especially if you don't know the person?

 

[Harpoon]

I think having an automatic defibulator in a public place where lots of people may be in and out and there's a possibility of someone having a heart attack that such a device would help is a great thing, however it's NOT for every situation and chances are, if you're in a position where a defibulator would be useful to you to have "on hand" at home or at work you should probably have either a pacemaker or an internal defibulator that's monitored by your physicians.

While they may call it "defibulator" the device is actually intended mostly to START hearts, not to fix rhythm problems though it can be used that way by a trained professional. You should see them at public pools and athletic facilities, airports, shopping centers, maybe health clubs or even restaurants. I wouldn't get one for home use unless it was under a doctor's advice. They could cause more problems than they solve if used improperly.


The other concern I'd have is that having such a thing in your home might make you "quick" to use it in an emergency that might not really call for it and you're GOING to call 911 in such an instance anyways.

You're better off learning CPR along with other members in your family than having a defibulator sitting in a cabinet in your bathroom.

Plus, I think they need regular maintenance and at LEAST battery checks that aren't as easy as testing the smoke detector twice a year.