Read Time: 4 Min

By Anthony Lambert

7/28/2021

How to Use an AED

Read Video Transcription

How to Use an Automatic External Defibrillator 00:44 Introduction to the AED. 01:00 Do you have to be CPR-certified to use an AED? 01:39 Anthony demonstrates the simple step-by-step process to open and activate an AED to save someone’s life following a heart attack. 01:52 The AED machine will provide written, illustrated and verbal instructions. 02:18 Illustrations on the adhesive pads will show you where to attach them to the victim’s bare torso. 02:59 The AED will automatically detect the patient’s heart rhythm — or lack thereof. 03:27 Anthony uses a volunteer patient to demonstrate how to adhere the pads. 04:38 How do you know when to shock a patient with an AED? 05:08 The most important step: Have someone call 9-1-1 to get help on the way. 05:46 Be a good witness and stay on the phone with the emergency dispatcher until help arrives. 05:55 Pass along any important developments to the dispatcher. 06:03 Be confident in your ability to use the AED to save someone’s life, but don’t be afraid to ask onlookers or passers-by for help. 06:17 Stay with the patient until paramedics arrive. 06:24 Everyone should seek CPR training through classes provided by their local fire department or the American Heart Association. The knowledge could save a life!

I can’t help but notice the portable or automated external defibrillators (AEDs) I see hanging on the walls at malls and stores. Some of these devices look as though they have never been touched, while others appear to have been either used or removed and stuffed back into their boxes. This got me thinking: How many people walk by these life-saving tools and don’t even realize they are there, let alone know how to use them if the need arises?

The AED’s Origins

I have always been interested in medical history, so I was naturally captivated when I came across an article detailing the grandfather of the artificial defibrillator while paging through a 1930s copy of Popular Mechanics. The article discusses a new machine — a “self-starter for a dead man’s heart” called the “Hyman Otor” — designed by cardiologist Albert S. Hyman and his brother, Charles H. Hyman, who was an electrical research engineer. This device was compared to a car starter because when a car stalls, the starter motor turns it over until the cylinders are working again. In the same way, this new device gave an electric shock to the human heart to get it started again. The scary part is that this was accomplished by inserting a needle between the ribs and into the right auricle of the patient’s heart. Medical authorities at the time raved about the device’s usefulness.

The first recorded history of shocks being used to restart a human’s heart took place in 1947 at the University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio. An American surgeon named Claude Beck had a theory that the heart could start again even after it had stopped, and he designed a machine capable of delivering shocks to the heart. When a 14-year-old boy’s heart abruptly went into ventricular fibrillation toward the end of his surgery (a death sentence at the time), Beck ordered his new machine brought from his research lab to the operating room to try to bring the boy back to life. The first shock from the machine’s two metal paddles that delivered 1,500 volts of electricity failed to do anything, but when Beck tried a second time, the boy’s heart started up again. The boy, Richard Heyard, made a full recovery.

The work of the Hyman brothers, Beck, Paul Zoll, William Kouwenhoven, James F. Pantridge and others revolutionized emergency services and led to the introduction of the portable AED we all know today.

Use and Application

Over recent years, AEDs have become more widespread, and many facilities are required to have one available. Studies have shown that areas that have these devices available have better cardiac arrest survival rates. But, as in the case of firearms, these devices do little good without the education and training to know how to properly and safely use them. Fortunately, using these devices is pretty simple.

Most AED units are fully automated after proper placement of the shock pads, which are very clearly marked with visual instructions. After proper application, press the power button on the main unit and listen to the instructions. The unit will look for a heart rhythm and alert the user to stand back if it needs to deliver a shock to the patient. If the patient continues to show lack of heart rhythm, the AED will continue to deliver shocks at an increased rate.

Even an individual who has an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) — commonly known as a “pacemaker” — can have an AED used on him or her. I happen to have one, and one my biggest fears has always been that I will get shocked or double shocked from the AED and my ICD. My cardiologist assures me that it won’t happen.

If you ever find yourself in a situation where you encounter someone who goes into sudden cardiac arrest, follow these steps:

Do not panic. Call 911 and call for help from bystanders.
Start CPR on the patient and have someone grab an AED for you (if available).
Continue CPR until you can use the AED or EMS arrives with one.

Don’t Forget to Remember

If you know how to use an AED, great. Keep up with your certifications. Remember, skills are perishable. If you are not CPR-certified and are not familiar with using an AED, I highly encourage you to seek some training either through the American Heart Association or by inquiring at your local fire department. Being CPR-certified and knowing how to use an AED will make you an asset to your loved ones and your community.

USCCA Ad

USCCA Ad

Share on Facebook Email to a Friend Share on Twitter

What To Do Next...

Download our free guide “6 Things You Didn’t Know Would Happen When the Police Arrive” to ensure you’re prepared if you ever need to use your firearm for self-defense.
Learn more about the USCCA and how we can make sure you have the skills, knowledge, and support to protect you and your family if you’re ever forced to defend yourself.

why more than 860,000 people trust the USCCA as their source for firearms education and training.

Start the Discussion

USCCA Comment Policy

We welcome relevant and respectful comments. Vulgarity, Profanity, Name Calling etc. will be deleted.