use of defibrillator (and availability of same)
My main question is this: what kind of defibrillator would be available to EMTs/paramedics in California (or the US as a whole? Is that too general?)?
The background is this: the character in the story I'm writing ends up going into ventricular fibrillation and stops breathing. The other character has supernaturally enhanced hearing and can tell, so he's doing CPR and waiting for the ambulance crew to arrive, who will use a defibrillator on him.
But what kind of defibrillator? I've looked for videos of real defibrillators in use, and found one of an actual rescue on Bondi Beach, Australia, and it was one which actually gave instructions to the paramedics. You kept hearing it say "Calculating rhythm, keep clear." And then when it was ready it said to continue with the CPR while it charged because the first shock hadn't worked, etc. They managed to revive the young man, but had to shock him three times - also he was awake and conscious of where and who he was - I'm kind of wondering how common that is, because I was planning for my character to wake up at the hospital.
So would this be what US paramedics use? Would they have a portable heart monitor and a separate defibrillator? Or would it be one machine, with the electrodes detecting the rhythm as well as delivering the shock?
I have searched for: defibrillation, tachycardia, California EMS, EMT supplies, U.S. ambulance supplies.
Edit: Thank you so much, everyone! I got exactly what I needed and now my fic which strains the willing suspension of disbelief in almost every way, will at least get the defib right!
Hey, it's important, ok? I hate it when on a tv show they either defibrillate on a flatline (though that's rarer nowadays, I know I saw it recently and just had to roll my eyes) or someone keels over and everyone else does a "She's dead, Jim," and walks away in slow motion.
So thanks everyone!
The background is this: the character in the story I'm writing ends up going into ventricular fibrillation and stops breathing. The other character has supernaturally enhanced hearing and can tell, so he's doing CPR and waiting for the ambulance crew to arrive, who will use a defibrillator on him.
But what kind of defibrillator? I've looked for videos of real defibrillators in use, and found one of an actual rescue on Bondi Beach, Australia, and it was one which actually gave instructions to the paramedics. You kept hearing it say "Calculating rhythm, keep clear." And then when it was ready it said to continue with the CPR while it charged because the first shock hadn't worked, etc. They managed to revive the young man, but had to shock him three times - also he was awake and conscious of where and who he was - I'm kind of wondering how common that is, because I was planning for my character to wake up at the hospital.
So would this be what US paramedics use? Would they have a portable heart monitor and a separate defibrillator? Or would it be one machine, with the electrodes detecting the rhythm as well as delivering the shock?
I have searched for: defibrillation, tachycardia, California EMS, EMT supplies, U.S. ambulance supplies.
Edit: Thank you so much, everyone! I got exactly what I needed and now my fic which strains the willing suspension of disbelief in almost every way, will at least get the defib right!
Hey, it's important, ok? I hate it when on a tv show they either defibrillate on a flatline (though that's rarer nowadays, I know I saw it recently and just had to roll my eyes) or someone keels over and everyone else does a "She's dead, Jim," and walks away in slow motion.
So thanks everyone!