5
Defibrillation
5.1
Application guidelines and safety notes
Page 78
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DEFIGARD/PHYSIOGARD Touch 7
5 Defibrillation
This chapter applies only to the
DEFIGARD
®
Touch 7
.
5.1 Application guidelines and safety notes
Observe the following guidelines to ensure successful and safe defibrillation.
Otherwise the lives of the patient, the user and bystanders are in danger.
The patient must:
–
not
come into contact with the operator or other persons during defibrillation.
–
not
come into contact with metal parts, e.g. bed or litter, or be positioned on wet
ground (rain, accident in swimming pool), to prevent unwanted pathways for the
defibrillation current, which may endanger the operator or assistants.
Do not allow the defibrillation electrodes to come into contact with other
electrodes or metal parts which are in contact with the patient.
The patient's chest must be dry, as moisture causes unwanted pathways for the
defibrillation current. For safety, wipe off flammable skin cleansing agents.
Owing to the high currents, there is a risk of skin burns at the site of the
electrodes. This is why the electrodes must not be placed on or above:
– the sternum, clavicle or mamillas
Immediately prior to the shock, the heart massage (CPR) and artificial
respiration must be stopped and bystanders must be warned.
Defibrillating a patient with an implanted pacemaker is likely to impair the
pacemaker function or cause damage to the pacemaker. For this reason, do not
apply the defibrillation electrodes in the vicinity of the pacemaker, have an
external pacemaker at hand, and check the implanted pacemaker for proper
functioning as soon as possible after the shock.
Equipment damage! Sensors and devices that are not defibrillation proof must
be disconnected from the patient before a shock is triggered.
