What is an AED?

AED, which stands for Automatic External Defibrillator, is a portable, easy-to-operate first aid device. The allocation of AEDs in densely populated places is an important measure to rescue patients with cardiac arrest, improve the success rate of emergency rescue and effectively reduce the mortality rate, and is an important symbol of the degree of modernization and civilization of society.

How to use AED?

AED 4-step operation method:

Step 1: Open

The patient is supine, the AED is placed next to the patient's ear, and defibrillation is performed on the patient's side so that the electrodes can be placed and CPR can be performed on the patient's right side.

The AED is turned on by pressing the power switch or lifting the cover of the display, and the instrument gives a voice prompt to guide the operator through the following steps.

Step 2: Paste

1. Adult electrode placement

According to the diagram on the AED electrode sheet, one electrode is attached to the upper right side of the patient's exposed chest (right margin of the sternum, below the clavicle), and another electrode is attached to the lateral side of the patient's left nipple (the fifth intercostal area after the left anterior axillary line).

2. Placement of electrodes for infants and children

The two electrodes are attached to the center of the chest and the left shoulder blade of the back of the infant and child, respectively. The electrodes can also be attached to the position of adults in larger children.

Step 3: Insert

Insert the electrode plug into the AED host jack and start analyzing the heart rate. Emergency personnel and bystanders should ensure that they do not come into contact with the patient to avoid affecting the heart rate analyzed by the instrument.

Heart rate analysis takes 5 to 15 seconds.

If the patient has ventricular fibrillation, the device will alert with an audible alarm or a graphic alarm.

Step four: Electricity

Make sure no one is touching the patient before pressing the "Shock" button, or announce "leave" loudly. When analyzing a heart rhythm that needs to be defibrillated, the capacitor often charges itself and is prompted by a sound or indicator light. Immediately after the first shock, continue cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Do not remove the patch, if the patient does not regain consciousness and breathing, continue CPR, the AED will continue to monitor, and follow instructions.

The fully automatic model even only requires the rescuer to apply an electric shock patch to the patient, and it can judge and produce an electric shock by itself; Semi-automatic models remind the rescuer to press the shock button. In most cases, even if the rescuer presses the shock button by mistake, the machine will not deliver an electric shock.

Precautions for using AED

1. Before applying the electrode, the patient's excessive chest hair should be removed first to ensure that the electrode is closely fitted to the skin.

2. To quickly wipe the excessive moisture or sweat on the patient's chest, and then apply the electrode.

3. Do not use AEDs on conductive surfaces such as water or metal. If the patient is lying in water, lift the patient out and dry the chest before using the AED.

4. Avoid attaching electrodes to patients' implantable defibrillators, pacemakers, and drug patches.

5. Stick the electrode sheet according to the position shown. If the electrode sheet is stuck upside down, do not remove it and paste it again.