AED’s – Shocking Easy to Use!
Why Anyone Can Use an AED in an Emergency
Many of our students are SHOCKED to learn how easy it is to use Automatic External Defibrillators (AED’s). AED training is part of all our classes at Inspire CPR in Amesbury, MA. Defibrillators are an essential part of performing CPR – they will break a deadly irregular heart rhythm and allow a regular heartbeat to start back up.
CPR compressions move blood and breath when the heart and breathing have stopped, but it is usually the defibrillator that brings the rhythm back.
Things you may not have known about AED’s:
1. You can’t hurt the victim with an AED.
They are like an EKG machine… they measure whatever heartbeat is there and only goes off if it finds one it wants to shock! And they won’t make a wrong decision.
2. You don’t need any special degree, training, or certification to grab an AED in an emergency.
Anybody can grab it off the wall, open it up, turn it on, and follow the directions. And the sooner the better – no need to wait for EMT’s.
3. They all have pictures and they talk to you.
They are designed to be user friendly, so that anybody can figure it out in an emergency. It shows you where to put the pads, and it tells you when to stand back and when to push the button if it wants you to. Even someone without cpr training could use it successfully.
4. They talk you through the CPR compressions as well!
…30 compressions, 2 breaths, 30 compressions, 2 breaths…literally, it will count aloud for you, tell you when to stand back, tell you when to push the button and when to re-start your compressions – Easy-Peasy!!
— Keep Stayin’ Alive
David
