Providing Lifesaving Defibrillation
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 Many Types of Rescuers
AEDs are used in hospitals and by Emergency Medical Services personnel and first
responders like policemen and fire fighters. Their simplicity and reliability
also allows use by minimally trained laypersons like security guards, health
club employees, flight attendants, lifeguards, and office managers.
The 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 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.