[AMPS] Electrical discharge through the heart (was Resoldering 3-500Z pins)

Gary Schwartz garyk9gs@solaria.sol.net
Tue, 6 Apr 1999 22:33:27 -0500 (CDT)



On Mon, 5 Apr 1999, Rich Measures wrote:
>
>  With the HV PS switched off?    How is that say 16uF charged to 5kV is
>ok to discharge through a sick person's chest, and yet if discharged
>through the abdomen of a healthy person, it can result in death?
>
>-  later, Gary

Rich I really think you need to do some research before you say something
that if taken literally, can kill someone.

I don't think you should be advocating discharging ANY electrical current
through anyone's chest UNLESS you have proper medical training and know
EXACTLY the condition that that person is in.

First of all, heart defibs are rarely employed for heart attacks.  They
are usually used for cardiac arrests.  Discharging electrical current
through a beating heart will usually result in death....this is called
electrocution.

By advocating discharging an amateur HV supply, energized or not, across
a human's chest without a medical diagnosis of cardiac arrest, is
irresponsible and will most likely result in death.

A heart attack is very different from cardiac arrest and as such is
treated very differently.

There are a few exceptions though.  There are certain heart conditions
where the electrical impluses in the heart get out of sync resulting in no
blood being pumped.  Essentially the heart just sits there and quivers. 
In this case, a heart defib is sometimes used to re-synchronize the
electrical impulses in the heart and restore normal rhythm.  But, and I
have to stress this again, this is NOT the type of diagnosis that is done
in the hamshack and corrected with a jolt of random energy from a HV
supply. Without the proper medical equipment and expertise to diagnose
this condition, you will most likely end up killing a friend, loved one
and probably yourself.

Enough said on this topic on the reflector and a word to the wise...don't
follow this poor advice.


73,
Gary K9GS 
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