What is an AED and when is it needed?
An automated external defibrillator (AED) is used to deliver an electrical shock to the heart (defibrillation) of a victim of the most common cause of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart’s electrical impulses suddenly become chaotic, causing the heart to abruptly stop pumping blood effectively – known as ventricular fibrillation. The victim becomes unresponsive, has no detectable pulse and stops breathing. The only definitive treatment to restore an effective heart rhythm of the most common cause of SCA is defibrillation.
