An Automated External Defribillator (AED)

One being venoarterial (VA) ECMO which can provide support for an individual with a failing heart. This procedure can give full support of the heart and lungs. Another form of support is the venovenous (VV) ECMO which can offer up to 80% of cardiac output gas exchange without having cardiovascular support. For a physician to perform ECMO, they will place tubes called cannulae into the patient to facilitate the removal and return of blood back in the body. What dictates how to place the tubes is dependent on the patient’s weight and the type of ECMO being administered. Once the tubes are in place and machine is turned on then the patient's blood begins to move out of the body through the drainage cannula. The blood coming from the body into the pump is carrying very little oxygen. It is then filtrated through the pump known as an “artificial lung”, where O2 is added and CO2 is removed. George Makdisi state, “While outside the body, hemoglobin becomes fully saturated with oxygen and CO2 is removed” (par. 7). Thereafter, the blood returned to the patient after it has been warmed. The ECMO medical professional monitoring the patient will set the proper parameters of flow and then start to wean them off as the patient’s injured heart or lung is well enough to take over the work. There is sizeable team present during ECMO therapy. The surgeon handles insertion of the cannulas at the start and the removal of them once the treatment has completed. Throughout ECMO, the patient is taken care of by doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, and other specialists. Usually there are several nurses and respiratory therapists that are specially trained to handle ECMO patients and there will always be one at the bedside to frequently monitor vitals, perform care, and assess the

The LifeVest is a defibrillator that is placed in a vest that patient is able to wear under his cloth. The vest helps save and individual in cardiac arrest. My patient was going to use this device because of his cardiac condition and due to his recent MI; these factors put him at a higher risk of cardiac arrest. It was amazing to watch how all the technology in the vest can save someone’s life. Watching my patient through his vest fitting and teaching was the highlight of the day. It was the first time that I

Their patients range from babies that have not yet developed their lungs to older folks with diseased or weak lungs. They may also provide emergency care to patients suffering from drowning, shock, or heart attack(home).

In addition, it decreases the workload of the heart. Thus, the function that the heart is unable to do efficiently is done with the assistance of an IABP. This balloon pump entered through my patient’s right groin and ends up sitting in the aorta. It inflates during diastole and deflates during systole, which works to provide proper blood flow via filling and perfusion. In addition, the patient had a temporary permanent pacemaker. However, it was removed later in the day. He was in NSR with occasional PVCs. Since he was my only patient, and a 1:1 acuity, he was definitely my most clinically difficult patient. At one point, the patient had a bradycardic/hypotensive episode accompanied by nausea and vomiting. We administered Compazine to help, which it did. Since the patient was required to remain on bedrest, he was experiencing lower back pain. We made sure to reposition frequently. At one point, he requested Tylenol. Some more treatment the patient required include Lasix to help diurese the

The device is needed when a person’s heart fails to operate correctly. A person needing an artificial heart would be extremely ill that is they would not be able to function like an everyday person. E.g. – walking.

As a respiratory therapist having the patient breathing is the number one priority. But when the patient is in bad condition the chance of the patient not being able to breath on their own is high. This is when a life support machine comes in, there are four different types of life support machines. The first one is a ventilator, this is the most important, this is what helps the patient to breath; the ventilator is forcing air into the patient's lungs. Having a ventilator on a patient is when the RT is seen the most because the RT has to intubate the patient. Intubation is the placement of a plastic tube that goes down into the trachea to maintain an open airway for oxygen to enter. The ventilator not only pushes oxygenated air into the lungs but it also monitors every breath the patient takes while

After Joe Hamilton’s cardiac arrest, an AED was placed on his chest and proceeded to analyze his cardiac rhythm (see Figure 1) and returned an inadequate rhythm.

The three major life-breathing concerns for a patient is a disruption of the airway, breathing, and circulation. When a patient goes into cardiac arrest due to pre-existing conditions or trauma, an EMT will initiate the steps of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and hopefully using an available automated external defibrillator (AED). However, some patients due to having a terminal illness, age, or personal choice does not want to be resuscitated or have

You will be connected to several monitors. The connection can be via patches on the chest, a cuff around the arm, or a sensor device on a finger. The monitors will allow your health care provider to watch your blood pressure, pulse, and oxygen levels to make sure that the anesthetic does not cause any problems.

Electrical wires may be put in to make sure the heart is working normally. These are temporary.

These are common |-EKG monitoring- to monitor the electrical activity of the heart and dysrhythmias. |

A pacemaker consists of a battery, computerized generator, and wires with sensors called electrodes. These electrodes detect the electrical activity of the conducting cells and then send the data back to the generator via the wires. If the pacemaker senses irregular activity, it will deliver a low energy pulse to the heart. For reference, the current delivered by a pacemaker is about one thousandth the size of the current needed to start a car. Most people report feeling a fluttering in their chest, if anything at all. Another interventional option is the ICD, which acts as both a pacemaker and a defibrillator. An ICD consists of a pulse generator, which monitors your heartbeat, and the leads. The leads of the ICD have electrodes that connect to the heart chambers. If an irregular rhythm is detected, a low energy pulse is delivered to prompt the heart to start beating normally. If the low energy pulse is not effective or sufficient, the ICD switches to a high energy pulse called defibrillation. People report defibrillation as feeling like you are being kicked in the

6- The correct use of a Defibrillator. 7- Know the recovery position and how to place a patient in it.

The RIP machine is used in emergency rooms all over the country to help medical teams make informed decisions based on a statistical percentage. So if a person was to come into the ER they would take their symptoms and press them into the machine where the machine would tell staff the best course of treatment. It is recommended that if the person has a 5 percent chance or greater that treatment be given to the patient, but if they have less than a 5 percent chance that treatment is not recommended to be administered to

Pumpless Extracorporeal Lung Assist is a technology that was developed to treat patients with ARDS. PECLA is an alternative to ECMO, and was developed for adults. It is different from ECMO because it relies on the pressure created by the heart of the patient to move the blood through the cannulas. The same membrane used in the filters of ECMO are used in PECLA. The device is small and one patient use only. The PECLA can be hooked up to an oxygen flow of 1-12 L/minute, and the ARDS patients were mechanically ventilated using lung protective strategies. As the oxygenation levels improve, the patients can be weaned from the device by lowering the oxygen flow.