You may have walked through a hospital, school or hotel and seen “AED” written in large font on a medical-type box attached to the wall.
AED stands for “Automated External Defibrillator” - more on this later.
What comes to your mind when you hear the word “defibrillator”?
Is it an image of a TV doctor yelling “clear!” before their patient arches off the table as two shock pads do their work?
There is a lot wrong with how defibrillators are depicted in many TV shows and hospital dramas.
For example, using a defib to resuscitate a flatlined patient is impossible. A heart needs to demonstrate some activity for it to be shocked back into a regular pumping rhythm.
These depictions may have contributed to bystander reluctance to use AEDs (automated external defibrillators).
The use of AEDs in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest situations is painfully low, due in-part to people not being prepared to use them even if one is available.
For example, a 2016 survey on the streets of Hong Kong found that while most (96.5 per cent) would help a cardiac arrest victim, less than one in five people (18 per cent) would use an AED.
So what is the difference between hospital defibrillators and a handheld AED.
A hospital defibrillator is an industrial-strength device designed to deliver a specific charge, and equipped with a range of diagnostic tools to monitor the heart performance of the person it’s hooked up to.
It requires a doctor to know how to use it correctly to get the best outcome for the patient.
Public access defibrillators – AEDs – provide the power of a hospital defibrillator in a much more simplified form, allowing it to be used by regular people.
Benefits include:
● Automating the operation (no switches or buttons).
● Deciding how big a shock is required.
● Voice prompts, remind the user what they need to do.
● Tools to help with better CPR such as a metronome beep to make sure CPR is being administered at the correct rate.
● Infant mode, provides a safe option for small children.
● Instructions for use so you can figure it out without training.
These are the essential requirements for AEDs.
What are the main barriers to AED use?
Despite AEDs making defibrillation available to the public, the survival rate of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest remains as low as less than one per cent globally.
We are here to change this scary stat!
Some barriers to AED use include:
● Public access AEDs aren’t accessible – it may be too far away, locked in a cupboard, or stored in a place that is only accessible at certain times of the day.
● The user is not trained in CPR or resuscitation, which slows down the Chain of Survival.
● The fear factor – the user holds back from using the device due to inexperience, unfamiliarity, reluctance to be responsible for the outcome etc.
● Cost; conventional AEDs are very expensive for personal ownership.
Addressing these barriers could significantly improve the survivability of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest – which is why we invented have the World's most portable AED.
Unlike hospital defibrillators, handheld AEDs are automatic, detecting if and when a shock is required. They also deliver a voice prompt to stand clear of the patient before the shock.
Knowing where your nearest AED is kept is one of the best ways you can prepare to help in an emergency