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Backgrounder

AED - Frequently Asked Questions

What is an AED?

Unlike the models of defibrillators intended for use by health care professionals (and the ones seen most often on TV), AEDs are designed to allow minimally trained laypersons to respond to cardiac emergencies, particularly sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). AEDs are about the size of a lunch box and have adhesive electrode pads that deliver brief, but powerful electrical stimulation to the heart, interrupting the abnormal rhythm and helping to restore the heart’s natural rhythm.   The devices are pre-programmed with the expertise needed to analyze the heart’s electrical function. They also use voice prompts and screen displays to instruct the user on how to operate the device.

Who can use an AED?

A wide variety of people in the United States and around the world are using AEDs, including police and security officers, firefighters, athletic trainers, flight attendants and lifeguards. Newly developed AEDs offer greater ease of use and are designed to allow trained laypersons to respond to cardiac emergencies in public places. Anyone who has completed a short (usually about four hours) training course that covers both AED use and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can use an AED.

New federal laws augment existing state “Good Samaritan” laws by providing some immunity protection for those who acquire and use AEDs.   

How safe are AEDs?

AEDs are very accurate and are designed not to deliver therapy to someone who is not in cardiac arrest. When used properly and with appropriate precautions, AEDs are very simple to operate and pose no risk to either the rescuer or the patient.

Is sudden cardiac arrest the same as a heart attack?

No. A heart attack occurs when a blood vessel feeding the heart itself is blocked by plaque or a blood clot. The longer the blood flow is interrupted the more extensive the damage done. The majority of heart attack victims survive the first attack. Treatment for heart attack includes angioplasty using a tiny balloon to widen blocked blood vessels and “clot-busting” drugs known as thrombolytics.

Sudden cardiac arrest involves problems with the heart’s electrical system, which can
cause it to stop beating entirely. When that happens, blood flow to the rest of the body is interrupted, and the victim passes out. Defibrillation is the only known treatment for this condition, and AEDs are the quickest and most efficient way to reach individuals with this lifesaving therapy.

I’ve heard about AEDs in the news. What key points should I know?

News coverage about AEDs is growing and includes:

• Results from the largest-ever clinical trial studying the outcome of public access to defibrillation (PAD) were published in the New England Journal of Medicine in August 2004. The data indicate that the use of AEDs by trained volunteers can significantly improve the probability of saving lives that otherwise might be lost to SCA. In the PAD Trial, the number of survivors from SCA in public locations approximately doubled when laypersons were trained to call 911 and administer CPR and AED therapy.
• Under the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act passed in June 2002, the government now provides millions of dollars to support the implementation of PAD programs across the country. 
• The American Heart Association recently recommended adoption of a resolution seeking placement of the devices in public buildings.
• The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) encourages employers to take advantage of AED technology, noting that 13 percent of workplace fatalities reported to OSHA in 1999 and 2000 resulted from cardiac arrest.
• Two studies reported in the October 2000 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine show that persons with minimal training can successfully use simple, portable defibrillation devices in public places to save lives that might otherwise be lost.  
• Passed in 2000, the Cardiac Arrest Survival Act was the nation’s first legislation to recognize the lifesaving role played by AEDs. This law requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop recommendations and guidelines for AED placement and use in federal buildings nationwide and in post offices and other buildings that house federal agencies. 
• There is a growing trend across the country for AEDs to be mandated in schools and other locations. As of February 2006, states that mandate AEDs in schools include New York, Illinois and Nevada. Arkansas requires AEDs in fitness center facilities at the university and college level. Pennsylvania and Ohio recommend AEDs in schools but do not require it. Legislation is under consideration by eight other states, and that number is expected to grow.
• Also as of February 2006, states requiring AEDs in health clubs are Illinois, New Jersey and California, and similar legislation is currently being reviewed by eleven other states, with more expected to participate in the future.
• In its 2005 Guidelines, the American Heart Association made a Class I recommendation (its highest) that AED programs be implemented in public locations where there is a relatively high likelihood of witnessed cardiac arrest, such as airports, casinos, sports facilities and businesses.
• There are increasingly more stories in the media about people whose lives have been saved by someone trained in CPR and AED use. These saves occur in places such as sports arenas, health clubs, schools and universities, and many other locations—wherever people go about their everyday lives.

Where can I get more information?

For additional information about sudden cardiac arrest, visit the American Heart Association’s Web site at www.americanheart.org. For more information on starting a defibrillation program in your workplace or community, visit www.suddencardiac arrest.org, www.aedhelp.com or www.keepthebeat.org.

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