Information About AED Machines

Automated external defibrillators can be found in corporate and governmental offices, shopping centers, airports, restaurants, hotels, sports stadiums, schools and universities, community centers, and other places where large groups of people gather and the risk of a sudden cardiac arrest incident is likely. In some cities, all police vehicles carry an AED. In order to make them highly visible, public AEDs often are bright red, green, or yellow in color, and are mounted in protective cases near the entrance of a building.

AED machines can also be kept and used in the home, particularly important for those with existing heart conditions. The number of AED devices in the community will continue to grow as more and more citizens begin to understand their importance in providing first aid.

Increasingly, many Ambulances are carrying AED or AED-Capable Defibrilators to allow Basic Life Support personnel such as First Responders and EMT-Bs/IVs to give electrical therapy to patients when the providers aren't trained in EKG administration or rhythm analysis. Some states, such as Tennessee and many others, are beginning to require AEDs to be carried by basic life support ambulances and first response trucks.

State Legislators have become actively involved with this issue in the past six years. Most commonly, the recent state laws encourage broader availability, rather than creating new regulatory restrictions. More information on individual state laws dealing with AEDs can be found at the National Conference of State Legislatures' website.

There are two main types of AED machines on the market today: semi-automatic and fully-automatic. Semi-automatic AED machines prompt the user to stand clear and then to push a shock button to defibrillate. Fully-automatic units sound a stand clear voice prompt and then deliver the shock automatically without the user having to push a button.

Unlike regular defibrillators, an automated external defibrillator requires very little training to use. It automatically diagnoses the heart rhythm and determines if a shock is needed. Automatic models will administer the shock without the user's command. Semi-automatic models will tell the user that a shock is needed, but the user must tell the machine to do so, usually by pressing a button. Read more about information on AED Training.

All AED machines approved for use in the United States use a synthesized voice to prompt users through each step. Because the user of an AED may be deaf or hard of hearing, many AED machines now include a screen to provide visual prompts. Most units today are designed for use by non-medical operators. Their ease of use has given rise to the notion of public access defibrillation (PAD), which experts agree has the potential to be the single greatest advance in the treatment of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest since the invention of CPR.

Information on how to start an AED program in your office or community from the American Heart Association

For more information or answers to your questions about AED machines, contact us today.

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