Automatic External Defibrillators, or AEDs, are lifesaving devices that are a necessity and can be your biggest help in an emergency. These devices give a strong dose of electricity for certain heartbeat patterns that may occur during an emergency. Luckily, these things are almost fool-proof. Let’s talk about them.
Shockable Rhythms
There are two shockable rhythms when using an AED. The first being ventricular fibrillation– or V-Fib. This is when the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles) are twitching but not pumping blood effectively to the rest of the body. This is the rhythm that is the highest cause of sudden cardiac death.
Ventricular tachycardia- or V-tach- is an abnormal heart rhythm marked by an abnormally fast heartbeat. Instead of beating 60-100 times per minute, a heart in Ventricular Tachycardia usually beats over 100 times or more per minute. VT is caused by irregular electrical impulses within the heart’s lower chambers. Sometimes, VT, will cause blood to stop flowing through the body.
In these cases, an electric shock can be delivered by an AED to potentially reset the correct rhythm in the heart. However, many people are afraid to use an AED. The truth of the matter is, it couldn’t be simpler to learn!
How to use an AED
If there is one thing an AED can do, it’s talk. Once you power an AED on, it will talk to you until you do what it is asking. Usually, the first step is to attach the pads. These pads typically have a diagram on them to show where they go on the person’s chest. Make sure these pads adhere! If the person is very hairy, you may be able to quickly shave their chest as many AEDs have a razor in them too. If there is no razor, but you have a second set of pads, use the first set of pads to wax a nice spot for the second set of pads to go. Remember, kids can use adult pads if there are no pediatric pads, but adults cannot use pediatric pads (there just isn’t enough “juice” in them).
Next, you have to attach the pads connector to the AED machine. These connectors can only go in one specific way. If everything is attached and correctly connected, it will move on to the next step. If something is awry, it will let you know! Once it moves on, the AED will start to analyze the patient’s heart rhythm. At this point, you will be asked not to touch the patient so the AED can get an accurate reading. If a shock is deemed necessary, the machine will tell you a shock is advised and to clear the patient. This is the part where you live out your Grey’s Anatomy dreams! You yell, “I’m Clear! You’re Clear! We’re all clear!” while the machine charges the shock. When doing this, you follow that list: make sure you are not touching the patient, and make sure nobody else is or is about to. If someone touches the patient when the electricity is delivered, congrats, you just gained another patient! THAT’S NOT A GOOD THING! If the patient is wet (like perhaps a drowning victim), quickly wipe their chest off before applying pads and make sure you are not in any puddles of water that the electricity could travel through and injure you.
Deliver the shock, and the machine will tell you to resume CPR. The machine will cycle back through the prompts in two minutes, so do not disconnect those pads until more advanced help arrives.