Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator (AED)
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List Price: Our Price: $1,190.00 You Save: $805.00 (40%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy 3rd Party: from $1,125.00 (click here) Category: Health Care See more product details |
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Product Reviews of Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator (AED)
Product Review: NC Registered Nurse
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm a critical care nurse and I teach CPR to healthcare professionals. These things are great and improve the survival rate in patients by 40-50%. Get one--it just may save the life of someone you know. And (by the way) they ARE easy enough for everyone to use.Product Review: No panacea, but it does raise survival rate.
Summary: 4 Stars
I've deducted a star only for the still expensive price.
As a volunteer EMT-B, I won't quibble with the general ineffectiveness of CPR by itself (without immediate defibrillation) cited by the one star reviewer. But this reviewer citing the New England Journal of Medicine HAT study (April 2008) with regard to this product is a little silly. If you're concerned about overall health policy or making a substantial dent in the enormous epidemic of sudden cardiac death in this country, putting AEDs only in the homes of those who had a myocardial infarction but subsequently been deemed healthy enough not to get an implantable defibrillator (essentially the study sample) would perhaps not give you the biggest bang for your (or your government's) buck. If, on the other hand, you or a loved one does not have an implanted defibrillator and you believe yourself or a loved one to be at risk for sudden cardiac death, because of family history and age, etc., surely it can be acknowledged that having a device like this on hand (yes, if you can personally afford it) would add to one's peace of mind. Here's the key fact in the HAT study, mentioned even in the NEJM editorial that accompanies the HAT study (which in some ways had a problematic sample): The AED was used in 29 unresponsive patients, a shock was advised and delivered in 14 patients, and "only" 4 of whom were long-term survivors. The simple math here is an almost 14% survival rate. That's well above the 1, 2, or even 5% survival rates reported without an AED. That's the families/loved ones/care providers of 29 sudden cardiac arrest victims who don't have to wonder if an AED would have made a difference (since clearly they do in a substantial percentage of cases). Think it was worth it to any of the 4 folks for whom this device defibrillated their heart rhythm? Think those at NBC and Tim Russert's family would have rather had an AED on hand on Friday at the studio rather than having to wait for DC EMS to arrive to attempt defibrillation? When something as shocking and tragic as a sudden cardiac arrest happens to you or someone you care about, you ideally want to know that you (or someone) have done everything that could have been done. While eventual death is a certainty for all of us, and we cannot be held accountable for what we do not know and for controlling all circumstances and we can't have an ambulance follow us around every minute of our lives, if you are unable to say that a defibrillation was attempted with a device capable of doing so within three minutes of collapse, you can't know everything was done that could have been done as an AED clearly raises survival rates substantially over CPR alone, even in such a small sample (and in many ways severely problematic sample) as provided by the HAT study in the NEJM. Other studies have shown a far greater impact of essentially the same device when it is installed in airports and other public places. AEDs are the first things to come along to actually help with survival rates in a response/rescue situation. Weigh the price point, certainly, but know that AEDs like this one have saved many lives that otherwise would not have been saved. If price weren't a factor, these should be in every home. Hopefully, some day they'll be as common and affordable as fire extinguishers.
Product Review: No water resistance better off with zoll aed
Summary: 1 Stars
It seems too good to be true. The device seems great on the surface but looking close it does not offer a significant degree of water resistance.
The FR2 or Zoll AED are units that are a bit better. But for a home unit where there is no chance of accidental exposure to water (swimming pool, rain or snow); it is a good unit.
jim bock, Pres.
Survivors Foundation
aedsurvivors.org
Product Review: Not Just for People
Summary: 5 Stars
This important device is not just for humans. My dog was successfully revived with this device. The vet subsequently informed me without the aid of this device, my dog would have died. My dog is a 200lb German Shepherd named Lucky, who chewed an electric extention chord => significant zap!! The device was applied, and 200J later, Lucky got very lucky!! Thank you Philips.Product Review: Only 10 minutes to update my AED Mr. July 2006
Summary: 5 Stars
Philips sent me a reprogram plug-in that took me only 10 minutes to change the settings to meet the new standards.
Most of the low price AED's use camaera batteries. My defibrillator has a long life lithium battary.
I won't risk someone's life on store-bought battaries.
Walt Blankenship