The UK Resuscitation Council (UK) and British Heart Foundation have jointly published a guide to AEDs – download it here.Defibrillation is one crucial stage in a sequence of events that need to occur for the resuscitation of a victim of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). This sequence, or ‘chain of survival’, starts by summoning the emergency services as soon as possible. The second stage is providing basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (chest compressions alternated with rescue breaths) to keep the victim alive until the third stage (defibrillation) can be performed.
The automated external defibrillator (AED) has been described as the single most important development in the treatment of SCA. These devices are now widely available and increasingly used by people, often with little or no training, to re-start the heart of a victim of SCA. Under ideal circumstances, when used very soon after collapse (within two or three minutes), many can survive.
The crucial determinant of survival is the interval between collapse and the use of the AED to deliver a shock. The strategy, therefore, is to have an AED installed at a place where it might be needed so that it can be accessed quickly by someone nearby, taken to the person who has collapsed, and used before the arrival of professional help. This arrangement is known as Public Access Defibrillation (PAD).
In the guide RESUS and the BHF explain the background to defibrillation and describe some important practical aspects of setting up an AED programme or PAD scheme. The information will help those considering establishing an AED programme in any public place. This will include the workplace, school, gym, or a transport, shopping or sports facility. Similarly the information will be relevant to those wishing to make an AED generally available by placing one in a prominent place in their local community. It is not intended as a guide for the purchase of an AED for use in the home.
