Is an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) something that preppers need to think about? Yes. AED’s are located in many (most) public places, and knowing how to use one may save a loved one’s life.
AED
Using an AED (automatic external defibrillator) is something that I think should be taught to every single person out there. It’s so incredibly easy to use but…as a device that can deliver a shock, will make people very nervous. I’m not gonna lie, my stomach twisted up and my hands shook during practicals in emt class. But it’s so much simpler than it looks.
I would ask you to take just a few minutes and watch this video, because you might be able to save a life.
AED’s Are Similar, So Training Isn’t Very Brand Specific
Most of them look something like this and work similarly, so once you understand the mechanisms of one, you should be able to use about any model. Many work places and most public places have these installed, and they are for absolutely anyone to grab and take to use on a person who is experiencing a likely cardiac related emergency. You don’t need to ask anyone permission.
Survival rates among those who have a bystander use an AED and/or do chest compressions is WAY higher than those who don’t. Seconds absolutely count.
Basic AED Instructions
1. ALWAYS call 911 or instruct another bystander to call FIRST. Be specific and direct. Make eye contact, point at them. “Sir! I need you to call 911 right now and give them our location and tell them a person has collapsed.” If there is no other bystander, call 911 yourself on your way to get the AED, and then put them on speakerphone and lay the phone down by where you are performing the procedure but make sure you take the time to give clear location information. It’s more important that EMS is on the way than it is for you to start the procedure a few seconds sooner.
2. Grab the AED
3. Remove the shirt of the patient. Cut or rip if no snaps or buttons.
4. Open the AED and if the unit has a power switch, turn it on (some have switches, some don’t). Pick up each pad, remove the backing and place on the person at the location indicated in the picture on each pad.
5. Some machines will automatically begin analyzing, others you may need to push a button labeled “analyze”. The machine will instruct you to stand clear of the patient before it begins. This is so that any movement is not misread. It is not delivering a shock at this point.
6. After the machine analyzes, it will tell you if a shock is recommended. It will either say “shock advised. Stand clear of the patient and press the “shock” button” or it will say “no shock advised at this time.” Press the button if recommended. You can not override this on most machines. You can’t deliver a shock if no shock is advised.
7. Once shock is delivered, the machine will tell you it is now safe to touch the patient, and will instruct you in cpr.
8. CURRENT RECOMMENDATIONS for BYSTANDER CPR are chest compressions ONLY. The reason for this is many bystanders are reluctant to do mouth to mouth on a stranger and may avoid performing cpr at all. Also, the amount of time it takes a bystander to feel for a pulse or give breathes can take away from critical time needed to maintain perfusion (oxygen in the tissues) and they have determined that simply doing compressions only is more effective.
The machine will tell you how to perform compressions and will give you a rhythm to push to. (If you are doing compressions on someone without the assistance of an AED, you can do them to the beat of a variety of songs like Stayin Alive, I Will Survive, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – my personal favorite is “Another One Bites The Dust” and yeah, I’m sick and twisted like that.
Roughly 110 beats per minute is what you are going for. If you can’t remember the music, you are going for 1.5-2 beats per second and for some people, that gives a better mental picture of what the right rate is than saying 110 beats per minute. You have to push much harder than you’d think, just do it, don’t worry about hurting them.
9. At some point the machine will tell you to stop compressions and stand clear, so that it can analyze again, and it may advise another shock or could even advise a shock where one wasn’t advised previously, because cardiac events can move just that fast.
10. You will continue to follow directions from the machine until EMS arrives to take over. The person MAY regain consciousness at some point, leave the pads on! The pads should always be left on and only taken off by EMS/hospital personnel.
FSA Approved
If you have a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), you can use money in your account to buy an AED through that program. This let’s you buy one at a pre-tax rate. I talk about FSA’s a lot more in detail in this recent article here on 3BY.
Pro Tip
Bystanders should use an AED if available when a victim is unconscious (can’t be roused) and not breathing (no pulse check). An AED will not shock if a shock is not needed!! Also, if you are willing to give breaths, do! The AED case should have a breathing barrier in it to cover the mouth and nose.
Practice AED’s Are Available As Well
If you go through any formal training (like the Red Cross provides) you will be trained on a “practice AED.” The practice AED looks identical to a real AED, the only real difference (other than labeling) is that it doesn’t actually deliver a shock. The practice rigs are generally set up for both adult and children’s pads, and it makes training very realistic.
Important!
*It should go without saying but never push the shock button on a conscious person, even if the machine advises (AED shouldn’t be used on a conscious person, but if someone regained consciousness while you were setting things up, for example.) Cardioversion is absolutely a thing but is done in the hospital and generally under sedation when possible. I’ve heard stories of EMS fooling around and accidentally cardioverting another medic and that the experience isn’t very pleasant.
Salty’s Note: We’ve been considering adding an AED to our personal preps because we travel a LOT of places that are a long way from medical help. An AED runs about $1,200 while refurbished models start at $600… so we have not yet pulled the trigger on one yet, but it’s on the list.
Pro Tip: You can often find AED training included in with Red Cross CPR classes. It’s great to be up to date on all of your CPR & AED skills!