1. Lesson 7

2. Who is it for?  Anyone in cardiac arrest  CPR is more successful when used along with an AED  Adult AEDs can be used on anyone 8 years of age or older weighing more than 55 lbs

3. How does it work?  AED analyzes the heart’s electrical rhythm  If necessary, the AED will prompt you do deliver a shock to a person in cardiac arrest  Defibrillation delivers a shock to the heart and temporarily stops the heart to allow the heart to spontaneously develop a natural rhythm on its own.

4. When it doesn’t work…  If the heart is completely stopped, an AED will NOT re-start the heart. Medication is the only thing that may help re-start the heart  If the heart’s rhythm is not in Ventricular Fibrillation (V-fib) or Ventricular Tachycardia (V-tac)

5. AED Don’ts  Do not touch the person while AED is analyzing  Do not touch the person while the AED is defibrillating  Do not use alcohol to wipe the victim’s chest dry  Do not use around anything that is flammable (gasoline or free flowing oxygen)

6. AED Don’ts continued  Do not use in a moving vehicle  Do not use if person is in contact with water  Do not use on someone younger than 8 years of age or weighing less than 55 lbs.  Do not use on person wearing nitroglycerin patch  Do not use cell phone or radio within 6 ft. of AED while analyzing

7. AED Dos  Make sure no one is touching the victim while AED is analyzing or shocking the person  Dry the person’s chest with a dry cloth  Shaving the are where the electrodes are placed may be necessary to make good contact

8. Pacemakers  You may still use the AED  Do not place AED electrodes over the pacemaker or internal defibrillator

9. Nitroglycerin Patches, Nicotine Patches, etc.  Should be removed with a gloved hand prior to AED electrode placement  Do not waste time trying to figure out what kind of patch it is  Take it off while wearing gloves!!

10. AED- electrode placement

11. AED- electrode placement (cont’d)  If some one is very petite (child over the age of 8 or just over 55 lbs.)  Place one electrode in the middle of the chest and the other between the shoulder blades

12. AED- Step by Step  Once CPR is started, and AED should be on the way (via ambulance or person going to get it)  When AED arrives, the first step to take is to TURN IT ON  Follow the prompts as instructed by the AED