| Imagine yourself walking hurriedly along
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| | course those things cannot be found
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| the crowded airport, trying to catch your
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| | outside the hospital or the ambulance and
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| flight to New Jersey. Suddenly, a man in
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| | you'd be intimidated to touch it, let
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| front of you faints and falls heavily on
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| | alone use it.This is where portable
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| the floor. He just had a cardiac arrest.
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| | defibrillators come in use. Immediate
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| As people all around start to rush
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| | aid for cardiac arrest victims is now
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| calling for the ambulance, you and other
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| | within reach because of its easy-to-carry
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| people try to perform CPR to no avail.
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| | packaging and its more automated
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| Precious minutes pass by quickly, and you
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| | technology. There is no need for complex
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| soon realize that if the paramedics
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| | buttons to press, and it has instructions
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| doesn't get to the man on time, he's
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| | that are easy to follow, making just
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| dead.*Cardiac arrest* is one of the
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| | about anyone capable of using it to help
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| leading causes of death in America today.
| |
| | save lives.Portable defibrillators should
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| It occurs swiftly and silently, leaving
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| | be placed in public areas like malls,
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| behind a high mortality rate where only
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| | airports, theme parks, hotels, offices,
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| 5% survive. And despite the best trained
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| | and schools. It should also be
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| emergency responders like firemen and
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| | strategically located along fire
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| paramedics rushing as fast as they can,
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| | extinguishers or public pay phones for
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| the unfortunate reality is that most of
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| | easy access. Because four out of five
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| its victims die before reaching the
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| | cardiac arrest occurs at homes, it is
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| hospital or while they wait for the
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| | also advisable to keep a portable
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| ambulance. That is often the case in
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| | defibrillator handy to be used in
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| cities that have traffic jams like New
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| | emergency cases. Explaining to your kids
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| York.When someone has a cardiac arrest,
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| | when and how to use it can spell the
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| the disorganization of the heart's
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| | difference between the life and death of
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| pumping rhythm causes it to be unable to
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| | one of your family members.In 2003, it
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| contract properly and makes an abrupt
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| | was found that the use of these portable
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| interruption of blood circulation. This
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| | defibrillators by volunteers in public
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| results to oxygen deprivation to the
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| | areas gave a significant increase to the
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| brain, unconsciousness, and inability to
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| | rate of cardiac arrest victims surviving
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| breathe. Within 3 to 4 minutes, the
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| | compared to those who only received CPR.
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| victim's brain is likely to be damaged.
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| | The said study was funded primarily by
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| For this reason, it is very important
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| | the National Institutes of Health Heart,
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| that emergency medical treatment is given
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| | Lung, and Blood Institute with the
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| immediately in order to resolve the
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| | American Heart Association. In
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| condition. The most common first-aid
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| | Milwaukee, where about 1,000 people
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| treatment for cardiac arrest is the
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| | joined a training program for the proper
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| cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR, and
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| | use of the portable defibrillator, it was
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| defibrillation.Defibrillation helps
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| | reported that the state already had a
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| revive the heart by sending rapid jolts
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| | cardiac arrest survival rate of 9%.Soon,
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| of energy to shock the heart back into
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| | portable defibrillators will be a common
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| its rhythm. A cardiac arrest victim's
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| | sight in public areas. People will be
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| chances of survival goes up by 10% with
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| | more familiar on its importance, and
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| after every minute of its use. We are
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| | almost everyone will know how to use it
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| familiar with how they are used as we see
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| | properly. So the next time you find
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| them frequently in hospitals, ambulances,
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| | yourself in the mall or in the airport,
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| and on television shows like Rescue 911
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| | keep a vigilant eye on all emergency
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| and hospital dramas like Grey's Anatomy
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| | areas for that small glass case that
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| and ER. But we know that it's very
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| | contains a portable defibrillator.
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| heavy, and we need to be sufficiently
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| | Knowing where one can be found is very
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| trained to use it, like the doctors who
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| | important in case an emergency occurs.
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| mutter barely coherent instructions on
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| | Who knows, the next life that could be
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| its voltage and then shout "clear!." Of
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| | saved might just be yours.
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