Indianapolis Indiana CPR Health and Safety Training

Everything you ever wanted to know about the AED

What Are They?

Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) may look like toys, but they can be used by lay people with only minimal training to revive people who are suffering a cardiac arrest. The AED is a small compact device, with only a couple of buttons and a pair of self-stick pads called electrodes. the electrodes are placed on the victims chest, and are use to deliver an electrical current to the victims heart.

When the electrodes are placed onto the victim, the AED defibrillator will analyze the victims heart, and determine if an electrical shock is indicated. If a shock is indicated, the AED will advise the user to deliver the shock by pressing the shock button.

As soon as the AED is activated, it will begin to give directions to the user. It does this by voice directions and text directions located on a screen on the AED. This is why the user can be confident that they are doing the procedure correctly. The sequence of the AED is so easy to use, the rescuer will feel confident they are doing everything correctly.

AEDs have been programmed to be able to accurately determine if the victim is indeed in cardiac arrest and needs to be defibrillated. they are virtually foolproof. Since it will not allow the user to deliver an unnecessary shock to the victim, the only thing the rescuer could do wrong is not follow the directions given by the AED.

By watching television, most people know what a defibrillator is. The difference is, instead of a doctor calling out sophisticated medical commands, that only medical professionals would understand, the AED does all of the work, and all the rescuer has to do is make sure no other people are touching the patient and press a button if needed.

By following the Cardiac Chain of Survival, we can expect increases in the survival rates of cardiac arrest victims.