The following content specifically applies to the use of AED (Automated External Defibrillators) which are highly accessible for public use, both for trained and untrained civilians; and health care providers in the event of someone in cardiac arrest.
Frankly that is not possible.
An ECG or electrocardiogram gives enough information for any health care professional to know, (well I'm not assuming everybody, but Physicians, Nurses, and EMRs should definitely know), the hearts current electrical and mechanical activity.
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How does the AED work?
An AED works by placing two paddles, or sticky pads, on the patients chest with the hearts location between the two pads. A 'shock' is delivered and the hearts rhythm is stopped. Yes, stopped. So that the SN (sinus node), the hearts natural pace maker, can restart it and bring the person back to life.
If a patient is 'flatlined' or in Asystole, that means the heart is already stopped. Both electrically (nerve impulses) and mechanically (the actual pumping action). If you shock the patient to make their heart stop when their heart is already stopped, guess what? Nothing happens. Sad truth but it is true.
The only two heart rhythms that can be shocked is ventricular tachycardia (heart beating too fast) and ventricular fibrillation. Both cannot be found without the use of an ECG because they are both identical to Asystole to an untrained person because they do not produce a pulse.
Ventricular tachycardia is when the heart is beating so fast and inefficiently that no blood is being pumped (hence no pulse).
Ventricular fibrillation is when the heart is, this is the easiest I can describe it, is having a spasm attack. Like muscle twitching, but it pumps no blood what so ever (hence no pulse).
An AED will stop the heart and give it a chance to 'reboot' thus saving a persons life.
*Side note, the heart reboots so easily because it kinda has a mind of its own. As long as there is warm fluid present it just starts beating until it dies. That' how heart transplants work. They don't even connect the heart back to the brain, they just connect it to the circulatory system and the patient is A Okay!
If a patient is 'flatlined' or in Asystole, that means the heart is already stopped. Both electrically (nerve impulses) and mechanically (the actual pumping action). If you shock the patient to make their heart stop when their heart is already stopped, guess what? Nothing happens. Sad truth but it is true.
The only two heart rhythms that can be shocked is ventricular tachycardia (heart beating too fast) and ventricular fibrillation. Both cannot be found without the use of an ECG because they are both identical to Asystole to an untrained person because they do not produce a pulse.
Ventricular tachycardia is when the heart is beating so fast and inefficiently that no blood is being pumped (hence no pulse).
Ventricular fibrillation is when the heart is, this is the easiest I can describe it, is having a spasm attack. Like muscle twitching, but it pumps no blood what so ever (hence no pulse).
An AED will stop the heart and give it a chance to 'reboot' thus saving a persons life.
*Side note, the heart reboots so easily because it kinda has a mind of its own. As long as there is warm fluid present it just starts beating until it dies. That' how heart transplants work. They don't even connect the heart back to the brain, they just connect it to the circulatory system and the patient is A Okay!
I need to edit this article some time, poor grammar is poor grammar :D
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