A lot of people misunderstand the causes and potential side effects of atrial fibrillation (commonly known as Afib). Even among those who have coped with the disorder for years, there is a mistaken belief that the condition is harmless. In reality, it is not.

It can lead to stroke, heart failure, and other consequences.

To review, Afib is characterized as an erratic discharge of rapid electrical impulses that spread across your heart’s atria (i.e. the two upper chambers). Rather than contracting in sync with your heart’s ventricles (i.e. the two lower chambers), the atria flutter - or fibrillate. In some cases, the disorder causes no noticeable symptoms. In other cases, the patient might be at risk of experiencing medical events that can be life-threatening.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the dangerous risks involved with not addressing atrial fibrillation. We’ll also detai an operation known as the maze procedure that a growing number of surgeons are using to help solve the problem.

The Risk Of Stroke

A stroke is caused by blood clots that clog one of the arteries of the brain. Clots rarely form in these arteries; instead, they form elsewhere, break away, and travel along your bloodstream.

Atrial fibrillation can result in the pooling of blood with one or both of your atria. As a result, the blood begins to clot. As long as the clots remain inside the atria, they pose little danger. However, they can break away and move through your ventricles on their way to the aorta.

Blood flows from your heart into the aorta and toward your brain. The clots and then travel through your bloodstream until they reach and clog a major artery. That produces a stroke. Common symptoms of a stroke can include partial paralysis, eye problems, and difficulty remembering things.

The Risk Of Heart Failure

Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle is overworked to the point of exhaustion. This can happen for a number of reasons, including coronary artery disease, diabetes, and of course, atrial fibrillation. In the latter case, the rapid electrical signals cause the atria to flutter so quickly that they eventually wear themselves out and weaken the heart. That reduces your heart’s ability to pump blood effectively throughout your body. As a result, the heart muscle becomes enlarged and is further weakened.

Secondary Side Effects

The reduced ability of your heart muscle to pump oxygen-rich blood to your tissue and organs can produce a number of secondary side effects. For instance, your lower extremites (i.e. ankles and feet) may begin to swell. Moreover, it’s quite common for the abdomen to also begin expanding.

Depending on the severity of the Afib-induced heart failure, you may experience a level of organ damage. This is due to your organs not receiving a sufficient supply of oxygen-rich blood.

You might also develop a persistent cough and shortness of breath if the condition produces excess fluid around your lungs. Unless Afib is resolved, these side effects can become permanent.

Maze Procedure To Resolve Afib

The most common method for addressing atrial fibrillation is the maze procedure. This is an operation during which your surgeon will create incisions or use catheter ablation to produce a maze of scar tissue across the surface of your atria. Scar tissue cannot conduct electricity. By creating this path, your surgeon can disrupt the erratic patterns of the electrical impulses. In effect, the surgeon is able to guide the signals along a defined path, thereby eliminating the fluttering and restoring a uniform rhythm for your heartbeat.

Atrial fibrillation can remain undetected for years. This has been attributed to many patients never seeking treatment. The problem is, the conditin can be very risky, depending on the severity of the case. If you suspect you have Afib, consult your doctor regarding whether the maze procedure is an appropriate solution for your circumstances.

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They work in unison, which makes it possible for your heart to pump blood effectively.

With Afib, the impulses are generated elsewhere and spread throughout the upper chambers in a disorganized pattern. This causes the upper chambers to fibrillate out of sync with the ventricles. As a result, the heart becomes less capable of pumping blood.

If you suffer from atrial fibrillation, maze surgery may be a viable option. This article will describe what you can expect before and after the operation.

Pre-Op Preparation

Your doctor will want you to make an appointment one or two weeks prior to the surgery. This is the time during which he or she will inform you about the procedure, recovery, and returning to your regular routine afterward. You will likely have an opportunity to meet the surgical team, including the surgeon and anesthesiologist.

The night prior to surgery, you should avoid eating or drinking. You can then check yourself into the hospital the following day. Your chest will be shaved and cleaned while your heart will be monitored. Then, you’ll receive a general anesthesia to put you to sleep before the maze procedure begins.

Maze surgery usually takes a couple of hours and possibly less if the surgeon is performing the operation with a minimally invasive approach.

Recovering In The Hospital

One the operation is completed, you’ll be moved to the ICU, where you’ll may stay for up to a week and a half. During your stay there, your physician will want to monitor your heart and other vital signs. Breathing tubes and related equipment will be connected and a catheter will be inserted to preclude the need to use the restroom.

The breathing tubes are typically removed after several hours. You’ll be transferred from the ICU into a general recovery ward where your doctor and nurses can continue to observe your progress. After about a week, if you experience no complications, you will be released to go home.

Recovering At Home

The length of your at-home recovery period depends upon a few factors. Your health prior to undergoing maze surgery plays a role. So too, does the surgeon’s approach (i.e. minimally invasive versus open heart surgery). Most patients can recover within six to eight weeks, and return to their normal routine a few weeks later.

While recovering at home, you’ll need to be diligent about taking any medications prescribed by your surgeon. You should also make sure the incision and the skin surrounding the area is cleaned on a regular basis. You will likely feel some degree of soreness as the area heals. That’s normal and will subside with time.

Your doctor will encourage you to adopt a healthy diet and mild exercise routine in order to rehabilitate your heart. Follow-up appointments will include a physical test to monitor your heart’s strength and identify any risks that might present a problem down the road.

Getting Back To Normal

Within three months, you should be able to return to work and participate in your normal activities. It’s worth noting that one in three patients will experience a recurrence of atrial fibrillation after undergoing the maze procedure. Your doctor may prescribe medications to lessen the symptoms. Gradually (within a year), your heart will adopt a normal rhythm.

Atrial fibrillation is not always dangerous. It can often be managed by medications. That said, if you feel the condition is impacting your quality of life, consult your doctor regarding whether the maze procedure is an appropriate treatment path.

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Newly enriched with oxygen, blood flows into your heart’s left side before leaving the organ in order to be circulated throughout your body.

Your mitral valve (MV) is one of four valves that help regulate the flow of your blood as it moves through your heart. It is located between your left atrium (one of two upper chambers) and left ventricle (one of two lower chambers). This particular valve can experience problems that affect the flow of blood between these two chambers. One such problem is called mitral valve prolapse (MVP).

In this article, we’ll provide a brief overview regarding the causes and potential complications of MVP. We’ll also explain how mitral valve repair addresses the disorder.

Possible Causes Of The Disorder

If the MV is working as it should, its two leaflets (or, flaps) close after blood flows through it into your left ventricle. When the leaflets close, the entrance becomes sealed, thereby preventing the flow of blood back into your left atrium. With prolapse, one of the two leaflets is too large and bulges back into the atrium whenever your heart beats. As a result, the opening between your atrium and ventricle does not seal off properly. Blood is allowed to flow back into the upper chamber.

The causes of MVP are unknown, though experts have speculated the disorder is related to Marfan syndrome (a condition in which your body’s connective tissue is irregular). Other possible culprits include a specific type of kidney disease and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Often, patients are born with a "floppy" mitral valve.

Potential Complications To Be Aware Of

Prolapse may be severe or minor. Most patients who have the disorder suffer few if any symptoms. That said, when the condition is severe, it can cause a number of complications, especially in those who are older.

The most common byproduct of prolapse is regurgitation. This is a condition, as already described, in which blood flows from your left ventricle into your left atrium because the opening is not properly sealed. In severe cases of regurgitation, you may be exposed to potential heart failure.

Another side effect of prolapse is an arrhythmia. There is far less risk inherent with arrhytmias than a severly regurgitant mitral valve, though your physician will most likely want to monitor it over time.

Prolapse can also lead to endocarditis. This is an infection of your endocardium, a membrane that forms a lining between your heart’s chambers and valves. MVP can promote the growth of bacteria, leading to an infection of this lining.

How Is The Disorder Treated?

Depending on the severity of the condition, your doctor may prescribe one or more medications to treat the symptoms. For example, beta blockers can help reduce an arrhythmia while aspirin and anticoagulants can help prevent the formation of blood clots.

For patients who are suffering from severe MVP, surgery may be necessary to correct the disorder. A physician may choose either to repair the malfunctioning mitral valve or replace it. The latter approach is usually reserved for circumstances in which mitral valve repair is not feasible. If surgery is possible, the surgeon may perform a triangular resection or chordal transfer, depending on which of the two leaflets is abnormal.

Open heart surgery was once necessary to perform mitral valve repair. Today, a minimally invasive approach is commonly taken. There is less postoperative pain and a faster recovery period. If you suffer from a malfunctioning mitral valve that is causing severe problems, ask your physician whether a triangular resection or chordal transfer is an option.

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From there, blood moves to your lungs to pick up oxygen before flowing into your left atrium. With the contraction of the left atrium, blood moves on to the left ventricle, where it stays until it travel into your aorta.

This flow is regulated by a series of valves. Each can develop problems which might pose symptoms. The severity of the problem dictates how noticeable the symptoms are. Below, we’ll take a look at how these valves work before focusing primarily on the mitral valve (MV). You’ll learn about the problems that can form and how mitral valve repair (MVR) is performed to correct them.

Valves And Leaflets

As blood flows from each chamber, it does so through one of four valves. Each has a specific job: open to allow blood through and close to prevent backflow. For isntance, the MV is is found betwen the left atrium and left ventricle. When the atrium contracts, the valve open to allow blood to flow into the ventricle. Then, it closes to prevent blood from flowing back into the atrium. All four valves work in the same manner.

Each valve has a set of leaflets, or flaps. The mitral valve only has two while the others have three. Under normal circumstances, these flaps should tightly seal the opening after blood has flowed through them. Unfortunately, problems can prevent them from working properly.

Potential Problems That Can Form

The most commonly occuring issues that impact the MV’s leaflets are prolapse, calcification and stenosis. With prolapse, the flaps fail to close and seal properly. That allows a backflow problem. For example, blood that flows through the mitral valve into the left ventricle can flow back through the unsealed opening into the left atrium. This condition is often referred to as regurgitation.

Calcification describes an accumulation of calcium along the ring of the MV. If the calcium concentration gets to high, it can prevent the leaflets from opeing and closing properly. In some cases, it can contribute to stenosis.

A stenotic mitral valve is one that does not fully open. That prevents blood from moving between your heart’s left atrium and ventricle. This condition is far less common and is nearly always a byproduct of rheumatic fever. Infection related to the illness causes the flaps to thicken, which narrows the passageway.

How Mitral Valve Repair Is Performed

Mitral valve repair is a surgical procedure that is used to repair problems affecting the MV’s leaflets. It can take several different forms depending on the nature of the disorder. For example, prolapse is divided into to seperate issues, once which affects the posterior flap and the other with affect the anterior leaflet. In the former case, a surgeon will perform a triangular resection. In the latter (a more difficult problem), the surgeon will do a chordal transfer.

Stenosis is handled a little differently. The surgeon may perform a procedure called valvuloplasty. In some cases, a scalpel is used to cut an opening into the mitral valve in order to allow blood to flow through. In other cases, a tiny balloon is affixed to a catheter and guided to the site. There, it is expanded to widen the opening. It is possible for patients suffering a stenotic mitral valve to experience a recurrence of the problem several years later. In such cases, the procedure can be performed again.

Doctors are increasingly using minimally invasive techniques to perform mitral valve repair. In doing so, this shortens the recovery period and reduces the risk of complications. As always, consult your physician to determine whether it is an appropriate course for your condition.

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When medications are prescribed, the goal may be twofold. Your doctor might seek to reduce the rate of your ventricles’ beating and control your heart’s rhythm. It’s important to underscore that none of these approaches cure Afib; they merely represent strategies to treat the symptoms.

The underlying cause of atrial fibrillation is erratic electrical impulses that spread rapidly though the atria of your heart in an irregular pattern. Below, you’ll learn about the different types of maze surgery that are performed to cure the disorder. The procedure has evolved over the last 25 years and now involves minimally invasive techniques.

Cox Maze III

The original method (called the Cox Maze) was developed by Dr. James Cox in 1987. It involved the surgeon making a series of incisions into the patient’s atria to create a maze through which the erratic electrical signals could be guided. This occurred as the result of scar tissue, which cannot conduct an electrical current.

Since 1987, Dr. Cox’s method has grown. The Cox Maze III is one of a series of iterations and still uses incisions to create scarring. Because the procedure is complicated, many surgeons have abandoned it for other methods that yield the same results with a lower mortality rate. One of those methods is called the Cox Maze IV.

Cox Maze IV (Surgical Ablation)

This iteration of Dr. Cox’s original method utilized surgical ablation to create scar tissue instead of incisions. The ablative energy can come from a number of different sources, including microwave, cryoablation, bipolar radiofrequency, laser, and ultrasound. It is just as effective as the previous method, but can be completed in less time with fewer complications.

The Cox IV is typically performed when the patient is already undergoing other open-heart procedures (i.e. coronary artery bypass graft, mitral valve repair, etc.) It can be done while the patient’s heart is arrested or while it is still beating. While the Cox IV can be used to cure atrial fibrillation, most Afib cases that are standalone are resolved through the minimaze strategy.

Minimaze

The minimaze method is a minimally invasive procedure for curing atrial fibrillation when the patient does not need other types of heart surgery. If the patient is only suffering from Afib, there’s no need to perform open heart surgery or arrest his or her heart. The minimaze can be performed with a few small incisions.

The entire operation takes a few hours. The surgeon will make three or four incisions on each side of the patient’s chest. The ablation tool, thoracoscope, and other instruments are inserted through these incisions to access the heart.

Catheter Ablation

Catheter ablation is similar to the minimaze, though the path taken to the heart is slightly different. It too, is a minimally invasive strategy. A catheter is inserted into the groin, arm, or neck, and guided toward the heart. A small hole is made in the septal wall to allow the catheter to pass from the right atrium to the left atrium. There, it ablates the tissue to create a conduction block. As with other forms of maze surgery, the conduction block prevents the passage of erratic electrical signals.

Maze surgery has evolved substantially since Dr. Cox developed his original method in 1987. The tools available to surgeons have likewise evolved. From the Cox III and IV to the minimaze and catheter ablation, new methods are currently in development. The up side is that atrail fibrillation can now be cured without the need to endure open heart surgery. For many patients, that opens the door to finally resolving a longstanding heart condition.

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As the left atrium contracts, blood is sent through the mitral valve. The valve opens and allows blood to flow through, then closes to prevent backflow from the ventricle.

MV failure can be caused by the stenosis (narrowing) or leaking (also known as regurgitation). Both problems can be caused by congenital defects, disease, or rheumatic fever. A regurgitant mitral valve may also be caused by coronary artery disease. Below, we’ll take a look at mitral valve repair for both stenosis and regurgitation. We’ll also explain why repairing the valve is usually preferable to replacing it.

How Narrowing Is Resolved

Mitral stenosis, whether due to a congenital defect or rheumatic fever, is characterized by the valve’s flaps (or leaflets) being fused together. Since the opening between the atrium and ventricle is narrowed, the atrium is forced to work much harder than normal to force blood into the ventricle. The condition is not immediately life-threatening, but can eventually lead to heart failure.

When the MV suffers stenosis, a procedure called mitral commissurotomy can be performed. It can be done through open surgery (i.e. cutting through the breastbone) or by catheterization. In the latter case, a balloon is affixed to a catheter which is threaded to the mitral valve. Once the catheter arrives at the site, the balloon is inflated and stretches the valvular opening.

How Regurgitation Is Resolved

Regurgitation is more common than stenosis. It is often due to a cleft in the valve (also called leaflet prolapse). Because the valve fails to completely seal the opening between the left atrium and left ventricle, blood can leak from one chamber to the other (in both directions). In most cases, the cleft can simply be stitched closed, putting a stop to the leakage.

Another approach is annuloplasty. The leaflets of the valve are naturally attached to the hearty by a circular annulus. Annuloplasty is a procedure during which a surgeon positions a synthetic ring around the annulus to provide support for the leaflets.

Advantages Of Repairing Over Replacing

There are circumstances in which the mitral valve is so defective or damaged that it cannot be repaired. In such cases, it must be replaced. That said, whenever possible, a surgeon will recommend repairing the valve over replacing it. There are many advantages to doing so.

For example, there is less likelihood of infection or stroke due to the absence of foreign material. There is also no need for anticoagulants, which must be taken by the patient when a replacement valve is used. Moreover, the survival rate among patients who undergo mitral valve repair is higher than the survival rate for those who receive replacements.

Mitral valve repair surgery is an effective approach for resolving stenosis or regurgitation. While valvular defects rarely present immediate danger to a patient’s life, the surgery can provide an improved lifestyle.

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A promising new heart therapy involving injecting stem cells from persons with severe heart disease back into their diseased hearts is being tested and has shown promising results.

When the stem cells are injected into the damaged hearts,the heart patients have shown marked improvement.

The trial tests, being conducted by Baxter Laboratories and researchers from Northwestern University, is creating quite a stir in the stem cell research and heart disease communities. Preliminary results from their tests were presented to the American Heart Association at their scientific conference in Ft. Lauderdale last fall. 

Dr. Douglas Losordo, a Northwestern University researcher working on the tests, is using technology developed by Baxter to extract and purify stem cells from heart patients with severe angina or who have had prior open-heart surgery or balloon angioplasty procedures to treat their heart disease. The purified stem cells in the test procedures was injected back into the hearts of the patients.

There was a test and a control group totalling 167 patients, most of whom were men,and the test group  showed significant improvement in their conditions. Many have been able to resume moderate physical activity since receiving the treatments. Some of them were home bound and were unable to do normal daily activities like walking up stairs or going out of the house to shop but could do these after they completed the tests.

These trials are the second phase of the three phases required for FDA approval. No date has been announced yet for the start of the third phase.

Adult stem cell treatments such as these are showing similarly encouraging results in other medical areas such as cancer and even spinal injury rehabilitation.  

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Technorati Tags: angioplasty, Baxter Laboratories, cells, damaged, disease, diseased, Dr.Losordo, FDA, heart, hearts, improvement, Northwestern University, open-heart, patients, research, severe, stem, surgery, therapy, trials

Home blood pressure monitors are principally of 3 varieties, Mercury column, aneroid and Digital Blood pressure monitors.

Mercury HBPMs:
These are seen in Doctor’s Offices. They are the most exact, but most tricky to use. This unit utilizes a stethoscope to listen to the sounds in the arteries.

Aneroid HPBMs-
These blood pressure monitors are the next most dependable.  Aneroid machines range in cost from approximately $20 to $30. They also call for incorporating a stethoscope – which is integrated in this particular model. They are lightweight, manageable, and affordable. Experts from the American Society of Hypertension recommend this style and say that these are the most low-cost monitors and little can go wrong with them. Aneroid models can be difficult to use, and may call for instruction by a doctor or health worker. Additionally, using these requires excellent hearing and eyesight and might not be the greatest alternative for elderly or disabled individuals For these reasons, aneroid HBPMs are in general less well-liked than digital monitors.

Digital HBPMs:
These machines are less exact, but they are the easiest to operate. They are a fine option for individuals who are hard of hearing or have weak eyesight. If you operate it properly, it is the best option for anyone.

Also it is necessary to take into account the style of cuff when purchasing HBPMs. Cuffs are of three types. Arm, wrist and finger cuffs. Arm cuffs are the most precise. Finger and wrist cuffs are only recommended for those who cannot wear them on the arm. An improperly fitted arm cuff will offer a false reading. This is the most frequent cause for faulty blood pressure readings. To determine your cuff size, measure around the middle of your upper arm. If it is
Less than 31 cm (12.2 in), buy a standard-size cuff.
Between 31 and 40 cm (15.7 in), buy a large-size cuff.

Cuffs should be inflated to gauge blood pressure- they consist of those that need to be inflated manually, semi-automatic devices, or auto inflate devices.

Next are some guidelines for when you buy your blood pressure machine.

Display Size - Is a regular or an extra-large LCD read-out necessary? Try to take one with a normal size.
Power Supply - Battery powered or AC adapter. If you travel, the battery powered unit is your top choice.  
Recall Features - A few models remember the most recent reading or many readings. There are also models that include a PC link. Better to decide on one that has a recollection of atleast one month Blood Pressure monitoring.
Printing options- Some monitors also have printing options to keep your records safe.
Cuff Sizes - Large and small arm cuffs are available for some units. The size of the cuff on a blood pressure monitor may well be the most important factor in getting a precise reading. So always use a cuff which is not too small and not too large.
Cost - Price may possibly be the most important factor. Remember to do as much research as possible. The more costly models might not always be better than the less costly monitors
Accuracy - Readings on some wrist and finger units may not be as correct as an arm unit depending on the person.
Simplicity - Depends on personal preference. People with certain disabilities might come across one unit easier to handle than another.      
Length of Warranty - Warranties fluctuate from one to three years. Inspect your unit frequently to make certain everything operate smoothly and accurately.

While monitoring your blood pressure is important, reducing it is more important. If you are overweight, learning how to get rid of body fat and losing excess weight can be a literal life saver.

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Now, eating a good diet can be very straight forward. First of all you should be eating a diet that contains lots of fresh fruits and vegetables (the healthy carbohydrates), and also protein from legumes (dried beans, peas and lentils), and meats or dairy products.

But this is where the trouble starts. Butter, red meats, poultry and eggs - all animal products contain cholesterol, with butter, egg yolks and red meats being the worst cholesterol offenders.

For your cooking and recipes, you need to try to add some low cholesterol foods, while you also work on decreasing the volume of high cholesterol foods.

The result will be a decreasing of the risk that you have for heart disease.

The protein that these foods provide is very important for the health of your internal organs, and for building strong tendons and muscles, as well as maintaining bones, hair, blood and skin. So, by some means you still need to get this protein in your diet, but it shouldn’t be from high cholesterol foods available. Fish can also supply you with protein, and fish is a good source too, especially herring, sardines, and salmon which contain the omega 3 fatty acids that your body also requires.

Milk also contains protein, but since it is an animal product it too has fat so you should drink skim milk, or 1% milk in place of whole milk or 2%. If your room mates are used to drinking the milk with higher fat levels, you may get some complaints begin with, but given time, if you continue with the healthier choices, they will probably come to adjust to it.

Instead of cooking with butter (animal product), try using olive oil (plant product) in its place, especially the virgin olive oil which is processed less than the light olive oils. In fact the light olive oil refers to the color, and not the number of calories it contains - very misleading when we usually use light meaning less calories.

One way of lowering the fat level in baking is to use apple sauce, pureed prunes, or mashed bananas instead of the fat, and this also increases your fruit in your diet too.

Almonds, walnuts, peanuts and some other nuts are good for you when you are concerned about lowering your cholesterol, but only eat a handful a day, or you will be consuming too many calories which is never a good idea.

If you are making hamburgers, put in some oats, as this is a great food to help you lower your cholesterol. Pulses are legumes as they are also known, or more commonly, dried beans, peas and lentils are also effective cholesterol lowering foods containing soluble fibre, as do apples, pears and barley.

There is plenty more about low cholesterol foods as well as cholesterol lowering foods and recipes here .

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Defibrillators are those devices you’ve probably seen in TV dramas, where someone  has suffered a heart attack and is in cardiac arrest, but is brought back to life from the brink by an electric shock from two metal plates applied to the victims chest.

One or two jolts of electricity and the victim regains consciousness and his heart is beating again. A life is saved.

This life-saving devices are called external defibrillators and used to be found only in medical facilities. Now, however, portable defibrillators, called automated extrenal defibrillators,orAED’sfor short, are required by Federal law to be standard eqiopment on airliners and are increasingly becoming part of many public service facilities.The reason? They save lives.

There’s been an uproar here in Chicago where I live because AED’s are not required by local authorities to be on commuter trains and public transit vehicles. And there have been a half-dozen cases on trains in the past two years where someone suffered a heart attack or another type of cardiac disruption and died on the train or on the platform or in the ambulance. Sadly, most of them would have survived if an AED had been present and used to revive them. CPR without a defribillator is unlikely to save the cardiac victim.

Cardiac arrest strikes nearly 350,000 persons each year in the U.S. alone and fewer than 10% of them ssurvive.But those who did survive had the benefit of being revived with an AED by someone who was present and administered the shock treatment.

The Chicago Tribune reports that the use of AED’s by police in Rochester, Minnesota,and by security guards at O’Hare and Midway Airports and at Las Vegas casinos have achieved a 50% to 75% survival rate for adults who suffered sudden cardiac arrest.

So why is the use of AED’s not more pervasive? Well, to begin with, cost is $1,000 to $1,500.So if Chicago, for example, has 700 buses, another 300 subway trains, it becomes a cost factor. Others say you need a medical professional to administer the device. But AED’s are really quite simple to operate. Just about anyone could do it.

AED’s can save a significant number of lives. And if you or a loved one has high risk factors for heart disease, you might to consider purchasing one for your home. Despite these tough economic times, how much is your or a family member’s life worth?

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Many public spaces, including airports, casinos, office buildings and even golf courses, are now equipped with A.E.D.’s, which are the only real hope for surviving a cardiac arrest. An A.E.D., which is about the size of a laptop …   Read more…

Should You Have an A.E.D. at Home? - Consults Blog - NYTimes.com

Strategically placed in public places like sports arenas and airports, A.E.D.’s have saved many lives. And for a few thousand dollars, you can purchase one for your home. So here’s the question for heart patients: If A.E.D.’s have been …   Read more…

Affordable AED online | Ideal Choice

Now, www.americanaed.com has come out with a wonderful range of AEDs, which can provide you with handy but effective solution to every cardiac patient, in those few minutes of distress. They have AEDs across a wide price range starting …   Read more…

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