Is it a heart attack, cardiac arrest or stroke?, Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator (AED)

Is it a heart attack, cardiac arrest or stroke?
Source: CNN

Know the differences
These are three distinct life-threatening episodes, but their symptoms and the people most vulnerable to them often overlap

Heart attack: What is it?

A heart attack occurs when the blood supply to the heart is severely reduced or cut off. The blood
supply is usually blocked by narrowing arteries or a blood clot. If the blood flow isn't restored
quickly, the lack of oxygen can damage the heart muscle, and it will begin to die.

Heart attack: Causes

Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of heart attack. The condition arises when fatty material
called plaque builds up on the walls of blood vessels (see diagram). The plaque can burst, and a blood
clot can form where the rupture occurred. If the clot is big enough, it can restrict the blood flow
through the artery.

In rare cases, a cononary artery will spasm, stopping the blood flow to apart of the heart. Drugs such
as cocaine can set off this process.

Heart attack: Risk factors

* Smoking
* High cholesterol
* High blood pressure
* Not enough physical activity
* Obesity or excess body fat, especially at the waist
* Diabetes
* Family history of heart attack
* Aging
* Gender: Men are generally more likely to suffer heart attacks than women, and they tend to have them
earlier in life.

Note: Stress, drink too much alcohol and poor nutrition can contribute to or worsen some of the risk factors
above.

Heart attack: Symptoms

* Discomfort for more than a few minutes in the center of the chest that feels like pressure, squeezing,
fullness or pain. The episodes could stop and recur.
* Discomfort can extend to other areas of the upper body, including the shoulders, arms, back, stomach,
jaw and teeth.
* Shortness of breath
* Sweating
* Fainting

Note: Women may exhibit different or less visible symptoms from men. In addition to the warning signs listed
above, women may feel abdominal pain or what they think is healthburn, clammy skin, dizziness, and/or
unusual or inexplicable fatigue.

Cardiac arrest: What is it?

Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating, preventing blood and oxygen from getting to
vital organs. If the heart isn't shocked into beating again using an automated external defibrillator, death
can occur within minutes, which is called sudden cardiac arrest.

With each minute that passes without cardiopulmonary resuscitation or defibrillation, the likelihood of
survival becomes 7 percent to 10 percent less, according to the American Heart Association.

Cardiac arrest: Causes

Coronary heart disease is the most common underlying cause of cardiac arrest. Most cardiac arrests are caused
by abnormal heart rhythms, called arrhythmia. Arrhythmia can cause the heart to beat much faster or slower
and eventually can make the heart stop.

Respiratory arrest, electrocution, drowning, chocking and trauma also can result in cardiac arrest.

Some people exerience cardiac arrest for no known reason.

Cardiac arrest: Risk factors

* Smoking
* High cholesterol
* High blood pressure
* Not enough physical activity
* Obesity
* Diabetes
* Not enough blood pumping from the heart
* Prior instance of cardiac arrest or heart attack
* Significant change in electrolytes
* Hyperthyroidism
* Pulmonary hypertention
* Taking drugs that affect heart rhythm
* Using drugs such as cocaine or amphetamines

Cardiac arrest: Symptoms

Cardiac arrest often comes about without warning. Symptoms include:

* Loss of consciousness
* Breathing stops
* Pulse stops
* Blood pressure stops
* Blackouts, Chest pain, dizziness, fainting. fatigue, palpitations, shortness of breath or vomiting
before cardiac arrest

Stroke: What is it?

People experience strokes when the blood flow to the brain is interrupted or severely limited, cutting off
oxygen and nutrients from brain tissue. Brain cells start dying minutes after a stroke.

Transient ischemic attacks, also known as "mini-strokes", occur when the blood flow to the brain is briefly
disrupted. More than a third of people who have had at least one of these later will have a stroke,
according to the American Stroke Association.

Strokes: Causes

There are two types of strokes: ischemic stroke, which occurs when the brain gets too little blood, and
hemorrhagic stroke, when there is too much blood within the skul. More people die of hemorrhagic strokes
than ischemic strokes, and those victims are usually younger.

Ischemic strokes

Ischemic strokes account for about 83 percent of strokes, according to the American Strokes Association;
among those, the most common types are thrombotic strokes and embolic strokes.

Thrombotic strokes occur when a blood clot forms in an artery that carries blood to the brain. These clots
usually form in areas damaged by fatty deposits in the arteries, know as atherosclerosis. A person has an
embolic stroke when a blood clot or other particle forms in a blood vessel away from his or her brain -
often in the heart - and gets lodged in a narrowed artery that is in the brain or carrying blood to it.
Abnormal beating in the heart's two upper chambers often triggers this, as it can lead to weakened blood
flow and development of a blood clot.

Hemorrhagic strokes

Hemorrhagic strokes occur when a blood vessel in the brain leaks or bursts. Hypertension - or uncontrolled
high blood pressure - and aneurysms - which are blood-filled pockets that disted from weak spots in the
artery wall - can bring them on, as well as head injuries.

People can be genetically predisposed to hemorrhagic strokes if they are born with an arteriovenous
malformation. They suffer strokes when these abnormal tangles of thin-walled blood vessels burst.

Stroke: Risk factors

* Personal history of stroke or "mini-stroke"
* Family history of stroke, heart attack or "mini-stroke"
* Age (older than 55)
* High blood pressure
* High cholesterol
* Smoking
* Diabetes
* Obesity
* Poor nutrition
* Cardiovascular disease
* High levels of the amino acid homocysteine in the blood
* Using birth control pills or other hormone therapy
* Race: Blacks are nearly twice as likely to have first-time strokes than whites.
* Gender: Men have more strokes than women, but more women die from strokes.
* Atrial fibrillation (a heart rhythm disorder that makes
the heart's upper chambers tremble instead of beat strongly)
* Sickle cell anemia

Symptoms

* Difficulty walking
* Difficulty speaking
* Difficulty seeing
* Headache
* Paralysis, weakness or numbness on one side of the body
* Severe headache, nausea and vomiting often accompany hemorrhagic strokes.

Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator (AED)

Amazon.com Product Description
The Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator. It's the latest in essential safety equipment. Fire extinguishers. Seat belts. Airbags. Home security systems. All essential safety equipment to protect yourself and your loved ones. You know they are there, silently standing by, just in case. They give you peace of mind so that you can focus on life's good things.

Be prepared for the unexpected.
When sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) strikes, the electrical system of the heart short circuits, causing the heart to quiver rather than pump in a normal rhythm. It typically results in the abnormal heart rhythm know as ventricular fibrillation (VF). It usually happens without warning and the majority of people have no previously recognized symptoms of heart disease. And it most often happens at home. For the best chance of survival from SCA caused by VF, a defibrillator should be used within 5 minutes. Yet, less than 1 in 20 people survive largely because a defibrillator does not arrive in time.

Just as seat belts or airbags do not save every life in a traffic accident, a defibrillator will not save every person who suffers a sudden cardiac arrest. Yet many lives could be saved if more people could be reached more quickly.

HeartStart was designed with you in mind.
That's why we created the HeartStart Home Defibrillator. This award-winning safety equipment has been designed so that virtually anyone can use it to help save the life of a person who suffers a sudden cardiac arrest.

Clear, calm voice instructions talk you through each step. HeartStart senses and adapts the instructions based on your actions. Using sophisticated technology, HeartStart quickly decides whether a shock is necessary. It is designed to only deliver a shock if needed. It will even coach you through the steps of CPR.

Like other essential safety equipment, you buy HeartStart hoping that you never have to use it. Yet in that moment you need it, HeartStart must be ready. It performs comprehensive daily self-tests. You can check its status at a glance. Virtually no maintenance is required.

Who should have a HeartStart?
Anyone who wants a safer home.

Consider the other essential safety equipment you own to protect your loved ones in case of an emergency. Fire extinguishers. Seat belts. Airbags. Now consider the likelihood of needing this equipment.

HeartStart Home Defibrillator Contents:

* Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator
* Red carry case with 911/EMS card
* Adult SMART Pads cartridge* (lasts 2 years)
* Battery (lasts 4 years)
* Training video
* Free discount coupons for CPR training at American Heart Association, American Red Cross or Medic First Aid
* 5-year warranty

*The Infant/Child pads cartridge is sold separately, and available by prescription only. Contact Philips at 1-866-333-4246 for more information or to order.

A Support Program Enrollment Card is also included. By enrolling in this free program, you will have access to a range of services, including:

* Important notifications about HeartStart
* Customer service*
* Periodic accessory reminders
* Post-use counseling*

*These services are available to all HeartStart owners.

Philips will send you a free Fast Response Kit (over $40 value) for enrolling in the Support Program.

Consider these things before your purchase:

* If you have questions or concerns about your health, or an existing medical condition, please talk with your doctor. A defibrillator does not take the place of seeking medical care.
* You cannot use the HeartStart to treat yourself.
* Users may need to perform CPR.
* Responding to cardiac arrest may require you to kneel.
* Voice instructions and enclosed materials are in English.
* HeartStart provides audible and visible indicators when maintenance is required.

Indications for Use: HeartStart is used to treat victims of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) who are not responsive and not breathing normally. If in doubt, apply the pads. The HeartStart treats the most common cause of SCA by delivering a shock to the heart. Use HeartStart and CPR, as needed, until emergency professionals arrive.

If you have concerns about your health or an existing medical condition, please talk to your doctor. A defibrillator is not a replacement for seeking medical care.


Product Description
FREE CARRY CASE with each unit purchased! Like other pieces of essential safety equipment, The Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator was designed to be safe, reliable and easy to use. With more than 175,000 devices deployed, Philips is the worldwide market leader in portable defibrillators on airplanes, and in airports, workplaces, communities, and homes. The Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator is the first and only home defibrillator available without a prescription for use by virtually anyone to help save a life when minutes count. This award-winning defibrillator has consistently been recognized for its ease of use. FREE CARRY CASE with each unit purchased!

Step 1: After calling 911, grab HeartStart and place it next to the victim. Pull the green handle to begin the automated voice instructions.

Step 2: Remove clothing from the patient's torso. Cut clothing if needed. It is important that the patient's chest is bare.

Step 3: Peel open the protective cover and take out the white adhesive pads.

Step 4: Look closely at the pictures on the white adhesive pads. Follow the voice instructions to remove the pads from the yellow plastic liner and place exactly as shown in the pictures on the victim's chest.

Step 5: Once the pads are in place, HeartStart will automatically analyze the victim's heart rhythm and determine if a shock is needed. If a shock is required, press the flashing orange button to deliver the shock. Do not touch the patient until you are instructed that it is safe to do so.

Step 6: If needed, begin CPR. Press the flashing blue button for step-by-step CPR coaching. Continue to follow HeartStart's instructions until professional emergency responders arrive.

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Home Defibrillator,
Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator (AED)