An AED is a device that guides the rescuer in administering cardioverter defibrillation, or CPR, by placing special electrical pads on a victim’s chest. The device senses a person’s heart rhythm and administers a series of shocks to the patient’s heart. An AED is needed in nearly every situation, including hospitals, public places, commercial settings, and even in homes. The device is also known as a public access defibrillator.
The first truly automated external defibrillator, the Heart-Aid, was designed for public use. It was a life-saving device that employed an ABC assessment, human voice relaying instructions, and a streamlined, easy-to-use interface. This innovation is still present in many AEDs today, though the airway electrode has fallen out of use. The device is an important tool in emergency situations, and it should be used by qualified rescuers.
The full name of an AED is Automated External Defibrillation. The acronym stands for Automated External Defibrillation. In the medical field, this device can be used in emergency situations and is used to restore heart rhythm in a patient experiencing cardiac arrest. The Mayo Clinic provides guidelines for responding to cardiac arrest, and AEDs are an important tool in these situations. The AED is not only a life-saving device, but it can also save a person’s life.
An AED is a device that can detect two different types of irregular heart rhythms and deliver a controlled electric shock. Defibrillators are commonly found in hospitals, but AEDs are different from these devices. An AED eliminates the need for guesswork in shock determination. It also allows operators to use an ECG without the need for an interpretive reading. This makes it much easier to administer a shock.
Despite its full medical name, Automated External Defibrillators are not as popular as CPR. They are used for diagnosis and treatment of life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias and are portable, battery-operated devices. The device delivers an electrical shock to the heart’s tissue via electrodes. While CPR pumps blood to vital organs, an AED is used to restart a heart’s rhythm.
Despite their life-saving capabilities, AEDs have a long history of problems. In fact, many defibrillators are not up to par with FDA requirements. Some have manufacturing problems and design defects. Some of these problems prevent rescue from taking place. In addition to the safety risks of AEDs, manufacturers of previously-cleared accessories must file a premarket application (PMA).
In addition to the safety and effectiveness of AEDs, the FDA has an effective process for monitoring the performance of the devices on the market. The FDA reviews manufacturers’ manufacturing and design changes and publishes their results in the Medical Device Recall Database. AEDs can be searched by product code. The FDA also monitors the effectiveness of recalls. The FDA is actively monitoring the effectiveness of AEDs, so it may issue a recall to a product.
