What are Automated External Defibrillators?
An AED (Automated External Defibrillator) is a portable electronic device that can audibly prompt and deliver an electric shock that will disrupt or stop the heart’s dysrhythmic electrical activity. The shock will not start a dead heart, but it will stop certain lethal rhythms and give the heart a chance to spontaneously re-establish an effective rhythm on its own. According to the American Heart Association, CPR rescue attempts using electric defibrillation or AEDs improves survival rates by as much as 49%.
