Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator (AED)
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List Price: Our Price: $1,109.00 You Save: $886.00 (44%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Category: Health Care See more product details |
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Product Reviews of Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator (AED)
Product Review: I wish this was available 2 years ago
Summary: 5 Stars
August 4 2002 my father, a healthy 54 year 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.
If something like this was available back then, I would have made sure my parents had it with them. 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 Galls catalog, 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.
Hoping you never need one...
Katie
Product Review: I'm Trained And Prepared
Summary: 5 Stars
I was totally ignorant about human physiology until I took the "HeartSaver AED" class. Now I know to operate an AED and I understand CPR. I was amazed when I read that HeartStart is the first heart defibrillator available for home use without a prescription. I want to be prepared for sudden cardiac arrest, since heart disease runs in my wife's family. Hopefully if I ever do have to call 911 and she has to wait for an ambulance to arrive, I can increase her chances of survival.Product Review: I'm not sure if everyone needs one for their home ...
Summary: 5 Stars
I am an individual at high risk of sudden cardiac arrest. I don't own a personal defibrillator but I have the implant in my chest. My implanted defibrillator and pacemaker is tuned up every 3 months by my cardiologist. The implant needs a new battery every 3-4 years so I have to undergo chest surgery at that time. The implant hurt like the devil after they installed it, but after 6 weeks it stopped hurting so much. My point is, if you are at high risk, why don't you get the implant? Do you need a scary electric device laying around that you may not be sure if you're using it right if you ever do use it? Have you had your first heart attack yet? Have you discussed this purchase with your cardiologist? If the answers to these last four questions is no, then maybe you should see a cardiologist first before you make the purchase. If you have not had a heart problem so far, and you're worried about it, see your doctor, maybe change your diet, stop smoking, etc. I think if you're shopping for this machine, maybe the implant is a better choice. The implant does it all for you and brings you back alive, without any intervention, unlike the product which needs someone nearby who knows how to use it properly.
Update 12/29/08: I recently visited my cardiologist and had my machine readout printed up, and was informed that on August 9, 2008, at about 5:00 a.m., my implanted defibrillator jolted my heart until it began to beat again and that the implant had saved my life. I did not wake up. My cardiologist informed me that without the implant, I would have passed away in my sleep without waking up.
I did not wake up. Who would have been there to use an external defibrillator on me to save me? No one.
Product Review: If you care about people who have heart problems, ...
Summary: 5 Stars
Then you need to consider buying this. I made my social club buy 3 of these in the hope that we never have to use them. If you've got a small office or have a family member who has heart problems, you need to strongly consider getting this. Your chance of survival drops 10% per minute for a cardiac arrest. The AED is very simple to use. One of the studies that "sold" people on this is the fact that 2nd graders were shown this device and not given any instructions and were just 30 seconds slower than paramedics with CPD/AED training. This as indispensible as a first aid kit.
Yet this is only part of the full lifesaving plan - if you're serious about getting this, then it's worth contacting the Red Cross for a CPR-D class. Talk with instructors and learn what else needs to be done as part of an overall comprehensive life-saving plan. If you've got an elderly family member living with you, or a history of cardiac arrests then the cost of this device is well worth it and buys precious time until emergency response arrives.
My hope is that if you buy this, you never have to use it. But if you do, you're giving someone the best opportunity for survival.
Product Review: Impressive web support
Summary: 5 Stars
Since my husband's family has a history of heart disease, I thought I would look into getting one of these. In researching the topic at the Consumer Reports website, I found that they reported that the resuscitation rate nationally is 2 to 5%. With a Home Defibrillator, the rate jumps to 40 to 50%.
In researching further, I found that the Phillips is the only Home Defibrillator available to buy without a prescription. The website for this product, www.heartstarthome.com, has a wealth of information. They offer assistance in finding out if insurance or Medicare will cover some of the cost of this product.
The American Heart Association states that 340,000 people in the U.S. die from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) each year. St. Jude Medical Center website (sjm.com) lists the risk factors for SCA, although SCA can occur without any risk factors:
Heart attack
Heart failure
Heart surgery
Coronary artery disease
Diabetes
High cholesterol
High blood pressure
Cigarette smoking
Drug or alcohol abuse
Excess weight
High fat diet
Sedentary lifestyle
Stress
Certain medications (over-the-counter and prescriptions, including decongestants, diet and herbal supplements)
Family history of arrhythmia or sudden cardiac arrest
Congenital heart disorders (heart problems present at birth, usually involving the heart's chambers or valves)
Advancing age
I was very impressed with the amount of on-line support at www.heartstarthome.com, including a video and a demo. The demo shows exactly how the product works. It removed all doubt about whether I would be able to use this product. (Obviously, taking the American Heart Association class is highly advisable!) Thanks, Philips.