AED Information
An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a lightweight, portable device that delivers an electric shock through the chest to the heart.
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The shock can potentially stop an irregular heart beat (arrhythmia) and allow a normal rhythm to resume following sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). SCA occurs when the heart malfunctions and stops beating unexpectedly. If not treated within minutes, it quickly leads to death.
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Most SCAs result from ventricular fibrillation (VF). VF is a rapid and unsynchronized heart rhythm that originates in the heart’s lower chambers (the ventricles). The heart must be “defibrillated” quickly, because a victim’s chance of surviving drops by seven to 10 percent for every minute a normal heartbeat isn’t restored.
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No one should be afraid to use an AED to save a life. You cannot hurt someone who has experienced a sudden cardiac arrest with an AED—they are already clinically dead, and the use of an AED can only help. AEDs are designed to only administer shocks when needed.
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