AED
What is an AED?
An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a life-saving piece of equipment that can be used on casualties suffering from a cardiac arrest (when the heart stops pumping blood around their body). The AED analyses the heart’s rhythm and if necessary, delivers an electrical shock, known as defibrillation. The shock is designed to reset the heart rhythm so that it can pump blood around the body again. A casualty’s chances of survival will be much higher if they receive good CPR and early defibrillation.
If used within the first minute of the casualty collapsing the survival rate can be as high as 90%. If however, an AED is used within the first 3 to 5 minutes, the likelihood of survival drops by 16%, showing that having an AED close by makes a huge difference.
How to recognise an AED
There are a variety of manufacturers who make defibrillators in different shapes and sizes. The defibrillator cabinet is usually labelled with a symbol showing a heart with a lightning bolt. See below.
Where have you seen AED’s?
