Within the past year, you may have heard about the placement of automatic external defibrillators (AED) in places where large numbers of people or people with high risk for heart attack gather.
An AED is a computerized medical device that checks a person's heart rhythm, can recognize a rhythm that requires a shock, advises when a shock is needed, then prompts the rescuer to take the proper steps.
An AED is about 8 to 10 inches square and weighs one to two pounds. The AED case is generally a bright color such as yellow or red. Their location is often marked with a sign that looks like a red lightning bolt.
Dianne Atkins, M.D., cardiologist at University of Iowa Children's Hospital, says currently, one manufacturer has FDA clearance to sell an over-the-counter AED. Otherwise a physician's prescription is required. AEDs can be purchased over the Internet fairly easily.
An AED is easy to operate. "It usually requires three steps that are pictured on the device. And the voice prompts or instructions start as soon as the device is turned on," she says. "The first step is to turn the machine on, then attach the electrode pads to the patient and the AED. The AED will analyze the heart rhythm and make the decision if a shock is needed. If a shock is needed, the voice prompt will say shock required, then the responder presses the shock button."
People with very little training can operate one. Just as everyone should learn CPR, it is recommended that everyone learn to operate an AED. AED instruction is now included in all American Heart Association and American Red Cross CPR training sessions.
Everyone who learns to operate an AED should also receive CPR training. "CPR remains very important. One to three minutes of CPR before a shock is given may improve the response of the heart to the shock. The CPR may increase the chance that the heart rhythm will return to normal," Atkins says. "There is often a period after the shock where the heart doesn't pump sufficient blood, so CPR is often required for a few minutes after a shock."
Children affected by heart disease also may benefit from an AED. "Although ventricular fibrillation, which is the heart rhythm that requires a shock, is more common in adults, children can experience it as well. Ventricular fibrillation is most frequently observed in children with underlying heart disease, but we know from recent studies that it can be observed in any cardiac arrest situation in a child," she says.
"For children over the age of eight, no modifications are necessary. For children less than eight years, we highly recommend the use of pediatric pads, which will lower the dose of electricity that is delivered during the shock."
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