When you might use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED)

Once a person’s heart goes into cardiac arrest every minute counts. When your heart stops pumping blood, your brain is starved of oxygen. This causes you to fall unconscious and stop breathing.

The longer their heart stays in cardiac arrest, without defibrillation and the attempt to restore normal rhythm, the greater the chance of irreversible brain damage to the individual. In addition, the more delayed the treatment, the lower the chances of survival.

Thus in cases where the attack occurs away from any established hospital, AED devices help the afflicted individual to get treatment at the earliest. There is no need to wait for emergency services to administer medical intervention to the person who has suffered from a cardiac event. Instead, the Automated External Defibrillator can be used to provide them with the appropriate electrical therapy. This greatly increases the person’s chances of survival and reduces the risk of brain damage.

Sudden Heart attacks can sometimes be corrected by giving an electric shock through the chest wall, by using a device called a defibrillator. This can be done by a trained member of the public (using a public access defibrillator) or emergency services at hospital.

Immediate CPR will keep oxygen circulating around the body until a defibrillator can be used and/or until the emergency services arrive. 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.