The Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) was introduced over two decades ago. It is designed to administer an electrical shock to a victim’s failing heart in an effort to restore a normal heart beat. Over the years, the AED has become remarkably effective at saving lives, its ease of use has increased substantially, and its purchase price has come down dramatically.
How successful are AED at saving lives?
On land, when an adult victim’s heart stops it is most frequently due to the naturally occurring deterioration of the health of the heart due to age or illness. Nonetheless, on land, when a victim suffers cardiac arrest, the immediate application of an AED to the victim’s chest has proven successful in restarting the victim’s heart approximately 74% of the time.*
In water, when a victim drowns, an AED has proven to be even more effective than when used on land. The reason for its increased effectiveness is, in part, due to the facts that when a victim drowns the heart stops abruptly and the health of the victim’s heart is usually not an issue. Consequently, in drowning cases, where an AED is immediately applied to the chest of a drowned victim suffering cardiac arrest, the AED has proven to be up to 97% effective in restarting the victim’s heart.*
How do you use an AED?
Unfortunately, too many laypersons are intimidated by the AED because they view it as a complicated machine that could electrocute the untrained. Fear not, because the AED will never shock a healthy heart, and it is as easy to use as 1-2-3: (1.) Press the “on” button, (2.) plug the cord connecting the pads into the AED, and (3.) stick the pads to the victim’s bare chest. The AED will then provide you with voice prompts, instructing you whether the victim’s heart is stopped and if you need to press the “shock” button. That’s all there is to it. Don’t be afraid to act.
Is an AED expensive?
AED units used to cost over $5,000 each, but thanks to the improvements in electronics, software, and mass production, AED units now range in price from only $1,195 to about $2,000. At this price, saving lives becomes affordable.
Why don’t more businesses protect lives with AED?
If AED are so effective, easy to use, and affordable, why don’t more businesses employ AED? Businesses typically site two reasons why they don’t have an AED on hand and ready to save lives: (1.) lack of training, and (2.) cost. In this economy, nobody is spending money on anything that they do not have to.
It’s only a matter of time. How soon do you think it will be until one of these scenarios happens:
- Congress passes legislation requiring AEDs in buildings that are to be reasonably expected to house a certain number of individuals. The number I have heard is 100. This would put an AED in just about every hotel, restaurant and public building, and require the training of staff.
- Somebody is sued for wrongful death for NOT having this inexpensive piece of equipment that should have been in place to save a life. Picture a a golf course, where older players walk, swing, get frustrated, and are a long ways from help. Picture a mid sized hotel, which spends thousands each for flat screen TVs all over the place, and charges $300 per night, but doesn’t make a one time $1500 purchase that could save a life. Picture an office building that has 500 employees and the associated rents and revenues.
- A health club or other facility is found liable for not reasonably anticipating that a customer exerting themselves could go into cardiac arrest. These companies that spends thousands on marketing promotions to get people in but nothing to save lives might not look good to a jury.
Once people become less afraid of AEDs, and/or there are more mandates, you can expect prices of products to go up (supply and demand), as well as initial training, which may also be hard to find, until things stabilize. Thankfully, more and more companies are taking the steps to get a machine or two, and getting their people trained in how to use them. Are you going to be the next one? Let’s get AEDs everywhere that makes sense. The life that is saved first might be one that is important to you.
