An
automated external defibrillator (AED) is a portable
device that analyzes the heart's rhythm and, if
necessary, allows a rescuer to deliver an electric shock
to a victim of sudden cardiac arrest. This shock, called
defibrillation, may halt the rapid and chaotic heart
activity of sudden cardiac arrest, and help the heart to
reestablish an effective rhythm of its own.
Portable and Automated
About the size of a laptop
computer, an AED typically consist of a main unit that
provides controls and instructions, and detachable
electrodes that the rescuer puts on the victim's body.
The latest AEDs are remarkably simple to use. They
automatically detect what treatment is appropriate for
the victim, and give rescuers instructions for
administering treatment (usually via audio prompts).
For Use By Various Types Of
Rescuers
AEDs used in hospitals and by
Emergency Medical Services personnel and first responders
like policemen and fire fighters. Its simplicity and
reliability also allows use by minimally trained
laypersons such as security guards, health club
employees, flight attendants and office managers.
The Growing Potential for
AEDs
Because sudden cardiac arrest is
most effectively treated within the first few seconds or
minutes of a sudden collapse, AEDs have the potential to
save thousands of lives that could be lost if treatment
is delayed until ambulances travel to the scene of a
cardiac arrest. The American Heart Association's Early
Defibrillation movement aims to put AEDs in the hands of
all emergency responders and in public places like
airports, shopping malls, health clubs, and office
buildings. As a result, the potential market for AEDs is
very large.
Early Defibrillation Saves Many
Lives
Sudden cardiac arrest strikes up to
350,000 Americans each year. Most commonly, the victim is
suffering from a disorder called ventricular fibrillation
(VF)-a chaotic rhythm in the main pumping chamber of the
heart. In this case, the victim needs defibrillation-an
electric shock to correct the heart's rhythm. (In other
cases, the victim may need only CPR.)
The earlier defibrillation is
administered, the better. With every passing minute after
sudden cardiac arrest occurs, the odds of the victim's
survival decrease by 7-10%. The American Heart
Association (AHA) estimates that early defibrillation
could raise survival rates 30 percent or more.
Making Early Defibrillation More
Accessible
Making it possible for laypersons
or first responders on the scene to rapidly administer
defibrillation could save thousands of lives every year.
The public access defibrillation (PAD) movement,
supported by the AHA, would put automated external
defibrillators (AEDs) in all emergency vehicles and
public places, where first responders or trained
laypersons (security guards, flight attendants, office
managers, etc.) could use them to quickly treat victims
of sudden cardiac arrest.
According to the AHA, "PAD...has
the potential to be the single greatest advance in the
treatment of VF cardiac arrest since the invention of
CPR."
The latest models of AEDs are remarkably simple to use,
automatically detecting which treatment the victim needs,
and telling the rescuer exactly what to do.
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