Automated External Defibrillators (AED)

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• Automated External Defibrillators (AED) Introduction
• Chain of Survival
• Defibrillation
• Automated External Defibrillators
• Public Access Defibrillators
• How to Operate an Automated External Defibrillator
• Automated External Defibrillator Use in Children
• The Future of Defibrillation
• For More Information
• Web Links
• Multimedia
• Synonyms and Keywords
• References
• Authors and Editors

Automated External Defibrillators (AED) Introduction

Heart disease is the number 1 killer in the United States. Every day, more than 2600 Americans die from cardiovascular disease, which amounts to 1 death every 33 seconds.

Most of these deaths occur with little or no warning, from a syndrome called sudden cardiac arrest. The most common cause of sudden cardiac arrest is a disturbance in the heart rhythm called ventricular fibrillation.

Ventricular fibrillation is dangerous because it cuts off blood supply to the brain and other vital organs.

• The ventricles are the chambers that pump blood out of the heart and into the blood vessels. This blood supplies oxygen and other nutrients to organs, cells, and other structures.
• If these structures do not receive enough blood, they start to shut down, or fail.
• If blood flow is not restored immediately, permanent brain damage or death is the result.

Ventricular fibrillation often can be treated successfully by applying an electric shock to the chest with a procedure called defibrillation.

• In coronary care units, most people who experience ventricular fibrillation survive, because defibrillation is performed almost immediately.
• The situation is just the opposite when cardiac arrest occurs outside a hospital setting. Unless defibrillation can be performed within the first few minutes after the onset of ventricular fibrillation, the chances for reviving the person (resuscitation) are very poor.
• For every minute that goes by that a person remains in ventricular fibrillation and defibrillation is not provided, the chances of resuscitation drop by almost 10 percent. After 10 minutes, the chances of resuscitating a victim of cardiac arrest are near zero.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, usually known as CPR, provides temporary artificial breathing and circulation.

• It can deliver a limited amount of blood and oxygen to the brain until a defibrillator becomes available.
• However, defibrillation is the only effective way to resuscitate a victim of ventricular fibrillation.