AICD Defibrillator
Your heart is one of the most important organs in your body. It works twenty-four hours a day and pumps blood to all of the other organs in your body. This muscle beats around fifty to eighty times a minute – that is a lot of work! The heart pumps blood to supply oxygen and nutrients to all of your organs, which helps keep your body working. If your heart stops doing all of its work, blood is no longer delivered to all of the organs of the body. When the heart stops working for a long period of time, it results in death.
Your heartbeat is actually your heart pumping blood throughout your organs. This occurs by sending electrical impulses throughout the muscle by way of the SA node, the pacemaker of the heart. This node creates your heartbeat, which in turn pumps blood to and from the heart. However, for some people, the heart does not beat regularly. If the heart is not beating normally, you may experience an irregular heartbeat. The medical term for an irregular heartbeat is “arrhythmia”, which most people describe as a “flutter” in their chest. With further tests, your doctor can assess the functioning capacity of your heart and decide if you have heart disease or are at risk for a heart attack.
Heart Disease and an AICD Defibrillator
Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. If you or your loved has been recently diagnosed with heart disease, please do not fret. There have been numerous technological advances in the medical world, which can help a person with heart disease lead a normal life.
If your doctor decides you or your loved one is at risk for a heart attack, he or she may assess the benefits of using a defibrillator. A defibrillator is a device that sends an electrical impulse to your heart to get it to beat regularly. This tool is important and works by preventing the heart muscle from stopping and avoids a heart attack. This device can be life saving for a person at risk for a heart attack. One type of defibrillator is an automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator (AICD defibrillator).
What is an AICD?
An AICD defibrillator is a small device used in patients who are at increased risk for a heart attack. During a minor procedure, the AICD defibrillator is implanted just under the skin in the chest. The AICD defibrillator is designed to correct an irregular heartbeat by sending a wave of electricity when an irregularity is detected. This correction allows your heart to carry on with its normal activities and decreases the risk of a heart attack. Your doctor will help you decide if an AICD defibrillator is necessary to meet your health care needs. The AICD defibrillator is comparable to a pacemaker, but is viewed as a more long-term intervention. Your doctor can help you decide which device would be most beneficial to your health. Using an AICD defibrillator may be a beneficial health intervention, in that it can allow you to live a longer, healthier life.
