Lifepak 12 Functions

The primary function of Lifepak 12, as with all defibrillators, is to jolt the heart electrically for a moment when it is beating erratically or abnormally to stop the heart arrhythmia and allow the heart to resume its normal pattern. It's kind of like rebooting a computer, in modern parlance. A popular misconception is that defibrillators will shock a stopped heart into beating again. Not true. If a heart has stopped beating, defibrillation is redundant. Most doctors recommend CPR to get the heart beating again.

Coordination with Receiving Facility

• When experiencing a heart attack, many times people will be transported to a hospital by ambulance staffed with highly trained emergency medical technicians (EMTs) or paramedics. Lifepak 12 offers Bluetooth simultaneous transmission of vital signs to the doctors and nurses about to take care of you. What is occurring while you're hooked up to the Lifepak12 on the way to the hospital is transmitted real-time to those that will have to make split second decisions once you arrive. It also allows recommendations to be made to the paramedics during transport by the treating staff at the hospital before you get there.

Monophasic and Biphasic Options

• According to 2005 American Heart Association protocols, it is recommended that the first application of a defibrillator should be monophasic, which deliver a charge in only one direction. Biphasic defibrillation delivers an electric shock in one direction for half of the charge and in the opposite direction for the second half. Most manufacturers are converting to biphasic Automatic External Defibrillation, AED, for the lesser joules (watts per second) administered and the lower amount of energy used can result in both longer battery life and a shorter time to full charge. Skilled EMTs, often with guidance from physicians at the monitoring hospital, have the option of adminstering either monophasic or biphasic charges as warranted with the Likepak 12. Many defibrillators are standard monophasic, particularly since the approval in 2004 by the Food and Drug Administration home AED sales without a prescription. There may be a theoretical clinical advantage to using biphasic defibrillation, according to the AHA, but most patient studies and reports have shown equivalency and not superiority of one form when using equivalent dosages.

Report Types Live and Captured

• The Lifepak 12 offers seven different critical report types in real-time and captured in short, medium and long forms. They include initial electrocardiogram assessment, automatic capture of vital signs every five minutes, arterial pressure pulse, a trend summary including vital sign logs, patient information and vital sign graphs, a heart rate display and a continuous patient surveillance system. So more than just shock you back to a normal heart rhythm, it monitors your condition as you are sped to the emergency room.