AED (Automated external defibrillator)

AEDs can save the life of someone having sudden cardiac arrest, when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. AEDs can be used for adults, as well as for children as young as 1 year old. Some devices have pads and cables designed especially for children. 

When to use an AED

- Defibrillators

A person whose heart stops from sudden cardiac arrest must get help within 10 minutes to survive. Fainting is usually the first sign of sudden cardiac arrest. If you think someone may be in cardiac arrest, try the following steps:

• If you see a person faint or if you find a person already unconscious, first confirm that the person cannot respond. The person may not move, or his or her movements may look like a seizure.

• You can shout at or gently shake the person to make sure he or she is not sleeping, but never shake an infant or young child. Instead, you can gently pinch the child to try to wake him or her up.

• Check the person’s breathing and pulse. If the person is not breathing and has no pulse or has an irregular heartbeat, prepare to use the AED as soon as possible.

Even someone without special training can respond in an emergency by following the instructions relayed by the device. If someone is having sudden cardiac arrest, using an AED and giving CPR can save that person’s life. When using an AED:

• Call 9-1-1 or have someone else call 9-1-1. If two rescuers are present, one can provide CPR while the other calls 9-1-1 and gets the AED.

• Make sure the area around the person is clear; touching the person could interfere with the AED’s reading of the person’s heart.

• If an electric pulse or shock is needed to restore a normal rhythm, the AED uses voice prompts to tell you when and how to give the shock, and electrodes deliver it. Some AEDs can deliver more than one shock with increasing energy.

• The device may instruct you to start CPR again after delivering the shock.