What’s an AED?
AED stands for “Automated External Defibrillator“. The Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a small, state-of-the-art device that allows fully automatic operation and is used in the treatment of life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, such as ventricular fibrillation or ventricular flutter. 85% of all sudden cardiac deaths are caused by ventricular fibrillation or ventricular flutter.
The use of an AED has been shown to reduce the mortality rate in this medical emergency. This is the reason why many public buildings now display AEDs. Today, almost every medical practice has a fully automatic AED device.
Especially if stress ECGs are performed in the practice (also family doctor’s practice), an AED is necessary for safety reasons. How important an AED or stationary defibrillator is, is shown by studies of the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research. According to these figures, 81 out of 100,000 people in Germany die of sudden cardiac death every year. Of these, just under 39 % are of working age.
How do I use an AED?
The AED consists of a box with a small monitor display that shows the heart rhythm in the sense of an ECG, two adhesive electrodes and some buttons. If you find an inanimate patient, you should first use common first aid methods such as pulse and respiratory rate monitoring. If an AED is available, the two adhesive electrodes should be placed under the right collarbone and under the left armpit.
Afterwards, a pulse check can be performed by pressing a button. A computer-controlled computer program guides the first aider through the necessary steps to be taken. Before a special shock button is pressed, everyone who is close to the patient must stand back, as the shock is transferred to the first aider when the body is touched.
Once the shock has been triggered, a further check of the rhythm begins fully automatically. Once a normal rhythm has been established, no further action should be taken apart from monitoring measures. If ventricular fibrillation or flutter persists, the shock must be repeated until a normal heart rate is restored.
After an AED has been used, the device should be returned to the manufacturer to allow them to check its function and restore the device to working order. The adhesive electrodes should be replaced. There is not much you can do wrong when using an AED.
However, it is important not to cause long delays during use, as every second the patient remains untreated leads to a deterioration of the final result. When unused, AEDs have a 5-year warranty. No maintenance is necessary during this time without use.
After 5 years without use, the device should also be sent to the medical service department, which checks and maintains the device’s main controls. As a rule, no parts are replaced when AEDs are unused. – If it is a complete cardiac arrest, no shock is triggered, but manual cardiac massage must be started. – However, if the AED analyzes ventricular fibrillation or ventricular flutter, the computer voice recommends that a shock be delivered.
