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Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator (AED)
Frequently Asked Questions
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Precautions, Training & Proper Use of the Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator (AED)
Who Can Be Treated With HeartStart?
Insurance and Medicare
HeartStart Maintenance and Warranty
Precautions, Training & Proper Use of the Philips Home Defibrillator (AED)
- What should I consider before purchasing HeartStart?
- You cannot use HeartStart to treat yourself.
Users may need to perform CPR.
Responding to cardiac arrest may require you to kneel.
Voice instructions and enclosed materials are in English.
HeartStart provides audible and visible indicators when maintenance is required.
- Is HeartStart safe?
- HeartStart was designed with safety in mind — the safety of the victim, the user and those living in the household, including children and others who might be curious about the device. HeartStart will not deliver a shock to a person who doesn't need it.
It is important for the home responder to follow the voice instructions and to make sure that no one touches the patient when a shock is delivered.
- Is training needed to use HeartStart?
- HeartStart comes with a Quick Start poster, an owner's manual, quick reference guide and a short training DVD (How To Use Your HeartStart Home Defibrillator) to help you get familiar with the device. Philips recommends that anyone who might use HeartStart watch the video and read these materials.
Users should have training in CPR and defibrillator use. Many training organizations offer a combined course. As an added bonus, HeartStart also comes with discounted coupons for CPR training at the American Red Cross, American Heart Association or Medic First Aid.
- When and how should I use the Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator (AED)?
- If you suspect that someone is in sudden cardiac arrest — they are not breathing and you can't wake the person — first call 911. Then follow the 3 simple steps for restarting a heart with HeartStart.
Step 1: Pull
Pull the cartridge handle (it's marked "PULL" in large letters) to initiate the voice instructions that will guide you through the process.
Step 2: Place
Place the pads on the patient's chest. The voice instructions will tell you exactly what to do. HeartStart can even sense and adapt to your actions. If you are moving quickly, the voice prompts stay with you. If you are taking more time, HeartStart provides increasingly detailed instructions to help you place the pads correctly. Once HeartStart senses that the pads have been applied to the skin, it automatically begins analyzing the patient's heart rhythm. HeartStart decides whether a shock is needed — you don't have to.
Step 3: Press
If HeartStart decides a shock is needed, it will instruct you to press the flashing orange button. HeartStart will only let you deliver a shock if it determines one is needed. It will even coach you through CPR.
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Who Can Be Treated With HeartStart?
- Can I use HeartStart on myself?
- No. Victims of cardiac arrest are unconscious and not breathing.
If you have questions or concerns about your health, or an existing medical condition, please talk with your doctor. A defibrillator does not take the place of seeking medical care.
- Can HeartStart treat an existing medical condition?
- HeartStart is only intended for use in the treatment of the most common cause of sudden cardiac arrest, known as ventricular fibrillation (VF). VF occurs when the electrical system of the heart short-circuits, causing the heart to quiver rather than pump in a normal rhythm.
If you have questions or concerns about your health, or an existing medical condition, please talk with your doctor. A defibrillator does not take the place of seeking medical care.
- Can HeartStart be used on children?
- Yes, HeartStart can be used on infants and children. In fact, Philips defibrillators were the first AEDs available for use on children under the age of 8 or weighing less than 55 pounds. HeartStart infant/child SMART pads cartridges are sold separately by prescription only.
HeartStart actually senses when the infant/child pads cartridge is installed. It automatically adjusts to deliver a lower energy level appropriate for infants and children and provides coaching for performing CPR on a child.
Talk to your doctor about obtaining a prescription for the infant/child pads, then call Philips at 1.866.333.4246 to place your order.
- Can HeartStart be used on a person with a pacemaker or ICD?
- Yes, you can use HeartStart on a person with an implanted device such as a pacemaker or ICD, but do not place the pads directly over the implant. (You can tell where an implant is located by a lump in the skin and a scar.)
HeartStart can also be used on someone wearing an oxygen mask.
Insurance and Medicare
- Does insurance cover HeartStart?
- Some medical conditions may meet the criteria for medical necessity for a home defibrillator. Talk to your insurance company and your doctor.
Due to the wide range of health insurance policies and patient conditions, neither Philips nor Walgreens.com can guarantee that an insurer will cover or pay at any level.
- Does Medicare cover HeartStart?
- As of January 1, 2004, Medicare covers automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and wearable defibrillators for specified at-risk patients. Talk to your doctor. Neither Philips nor Walgreens.com can guarantee that Medicare will cover or pay at any level.
HeartStart Maintenance and Warranty
- Does the battery need recharging?
- No. The long-life lithium battery contains power cells of the same kind safely used in many other consumer products, such as cameras.
The battery typically lasts approximately four years in "standby mode" — or when HeartStart is standing at the ready to help save a life if needed. Every day, HeartStart runs self-tests to check its battery, pads freshness and internal circuitry. If it ever detects a problem, such as a low battery, it chirps like your smoke alarm to alert you.
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