Testimonials of users
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Cyril Dunne, 52 years old, Chicago.
"A defibrillator would have made a big difference."On June 1996, 52 years old Cyril Dunne died of sudden cardiac arrest at his home in Chicago. He was fit, healthy and with no apparent tendency toward heart disease. His death left Mary Dunne a widow and their four children without a father. The first emergency response team to reach the house after the family's frantic call was a pair of firemen with an oxygen tank. They arrived nearly nine minutes after the call came, and those minutes might have made all the difference for Cyril. "Our primary care physician feels that if Cyril had gotten a defibrillator at the right time instead of too late, he would be alive. Mary has launched a campaign to make sure what happened to her family doesn't happen again. Thanks to her efforts, the city of Chicago now requires all fire engines and emergency response vehicles to carry defibrillators.
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Bill A. USA
"Every American Heart Association instructor prefers to use the Philips Medical HeartStart."I have taught CPR for almost 35 years and currently head up an American Heart Association Training Center. My instructors have had access to the top 4 AED trainers for over 5 years, but every one of them prefers to use the Philips Medical Heartstart. The other trainers gather dust. The Philips line of AEDs began as HeartStream in the late 1990s and were the first on the market with FDA-approved biphasic (2 directional) shocks, first to put AEDs on airplanes (American Airlines), first with FDA-approved Pediatric Pads,the first and currently only AED officially approved by the American Dental Association, and the first to be able to be purchased without a doctor's prescription. If you have a loved one in your home with a heart condition, this is the device for you! Be aware that no device guarantees success, and this machine will not help a heart attack, but it is the best chance for someone who experiences a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (complete heart stoppage). But if you buy it, please also take the time to get trained in its use.
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Andre D. Nevada
"There is NO doubt that the prompt use of the automatic defibrillator saved his life." I know that this type of device can save lives in some situations because I saw it happen! In our case, we were attending an event at a hotel in Laughlin, Nevada when a friend dropped down like an anchor in the middle of a sentence from a Ventricular Fibrillation. One of our other friends began administering CPR. The hotel security was called and they quickly responded by sending one of their security personnel with an automatic defibrillator. He ripped the shirt off our friend's chest and placed the electrodes in the positions indicated. The device he used was talking him through everything. It told us to stand back while it tested the heart rhythm and then quickly advised us to not touch the victim because a shock would be administered. After the shock happened, it re-analyzed the heart rhythm and advised us that the heartbeat had been restored. Andrew D.
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Katie D, USA
"If something like this was available back then, I would have made sure my parents had it with them." My father, a healthy 54 years old, had a sudden cardiac arrest without any warning or symptoms. It took an ambulance too long to reach him, and despite my mother performing CPR on him he was defibrillated too late and was dead before reaching the hospital. As hard as it is to believe, I had premonitions and nightmares about something like this happening to my dad. Just a year before his death I tried to purchase one from a catalogue, but they refused to fill the order until I had a physician's prescription, which I couldn't get because my dad was not in a "high risk category". Now that this is available over-the-counter, I think it would be great to have around. I will be purchasing one as soon as my next tax refund comes in. While I am a licensed EMT and know how to work a regular defibrillator, an AED has the advantage in that absolutely anyone, without training, can easily use it.
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Bob K., USA
"I bought mine to protect family, my friends and myself even my neighbours." I'm a 44 year old man, no family history of heart disease, "normal" blood pressure, slightly elevated cholesterol, exercise 3-4 times per week. I expect my heart will never need to be defibrillated. But then again, who does? This device is truly amazing. It really, really is as easy to use as a doorbell. If a shock is needed, you push a flashing button after the devices tells you to do so. The HeartStart does all the thinking. Its voice is remarkably reassuring. The instructions are simple and clear. Given the thought of needing one and not having it; cost really wasn't much of a consideration. Each time I pass it, (we keep ours in the laundry room) I'm reminded just how precious life is.
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Darren S. USA
"This product saves time for the ambulance to arrive; saving precious minutes, and lives!" This is a fabulous product, as I can speak from experience. It is very user-friendly. CPR is only PART of what saves a heart attack victim. One of the main reasons for calling 144 is so there can be follow-through with defibrillation, if necessary. The machine lets you know if the patient needs to be defibrillated. If a heart attack victim does need defibrillated, CPR is not enough. Without defibrillation, the patient will remain dead. As for those others that commented about not being able to use it on themselves, educate yourself, take a basic CPR class. It would be nice if the product could be cheaper, so that all households could afford the device. I have noticed, however, that no matter how poor some people are, they still can afford to have big TVs and computers. This product could save the life of someone you care about, even though you cannot use it on yourself!