CARDIAC ARREST/AED STEPS

Video transcript:
Every year thousands of people die of sudden cardiac arrest. Many of these deaths could be prevented with immediate and appropriate care.

Remember the Cardiac Chain of Survival:
Early Recognition and Early Access;
Early CPR;
Early Defibrillation and
Early Advanced Medical Care.

Technology is available to help you provide early defibrillation for cardiac emergencies.

These machines are called Automated External Defibrillators or AEDs for short.

An AED is a portable device that analyzes the heart’s rhythm and determines if an electric shock is needed to restore an effective rhythm. An AED can deliver that shock, either automatically, or with the push of a button.

An AED is not a replacement for CPR or quick activation of the EMS system. Always give CPR until an AED is ready to use.

Let’s talk about when to use an AED.

You still start out, as always, with the emergency action steps: Check, Call, Care.

If, during your check, you find no signs of life, assume that the heart is not functioning properly. Make sure someone has called for help, and use the AED immediately. If an AED is not available right away, give CPR until an AED is at the scene and ready to use.

First, turn on the AED. Some turn on as soon as you open the case. This model has a power switch.

Pay careful attention to the voice prompts, they will tell you what to do next.

Apply pads to patient's bare chest.

Remove the pads from their packaging, so they’re ready to use.

The person’s chest must be bare and dry. Use a cloth to dry the skin if it is wet.

Apply the pads to the bare, dry chest.

Place one pad on the upper right chest.

and the other pad on the lower left side.

Some pads have illustrations that show correct placement.

On some models the pads and cables are already connected to the AED, if yours are not, be sure to connect them only after you apply the pads on the chest.

Once the pads are applied and the cables plugged in, the AED should automatically start analyzing the heart rhythm.

Analyzing heart rhythm.

For the AED to operate properly, you must not allow yourself or anyone else to touch the person while the AED is analyzing.

Analyzing heart rhythm. Do not touch the patient.

Analyzing. Everyone stand clear.

On some models you may need to push a button to analyze the rhythm.

It is also helpful to repeat instructions and warnings out loud so bystanders do not touch the person while you are operating the AED. The sequence will look something like this:

Analyzing heart rhythm. Do not touch the patient.

Analyzing. Everyone stand clear!

Shock advised. Charging. Stay clear of patient.

Before you push the button to deliver the shock, make sure no one is touching the person, not even you.

Deliver shock now. Press the orange button now.

Shocking! Stand clear!

Shock delivered. It is safe to touch the patient. Begin CPR.

1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 and 8 ...to 30.

After a shock is delivered or if no shock is indicated, give 2 minutes of CPR before analyzing the heart rhythm again.

If no shock is indicated after the second analysis of the heart rhythm, continue CPR for another two minutes before analyzing the rhythm again.

If at any time you notice an obvious sign of life, stop CPR and monitor the ABC’s.

The AED tells and shows you, each step of the way, what is happening and what to do next.

It’s very important that you make sure no one touches the person while the AED is analyzing or delivering a shock. That includes you.