What Does an AED Do? Save lives.
Key Takeaways:
- An AED checks the heart’s rhythm and delivers a shock if needed to help restore a normal heartbeat during sudden cardiac arrest.
- Having an AED onsite can make the difference in the minutes before emergency responders arrive.
- AEDs are designed to guide rescuers — whether trained or untrained — with clear prompts during a high stress moment.
- An AED is only helpful if it is accessible and properly maintained.
- Ongoing inspection and servicing are critical parts of owning and operating an AED.
Sudden cardiac arrest can arrive without warning. When a person’s heart stops, it takes just a few seconds to go from active and alert to unconscious and unresponsive.
It can also happen anywhere: in an office hallway, on a factory floor or on a school campus. It can even happen on the biggest stage imaginable — Monday Night Football.
Millions were watching live in 2023 when NFL player Damar Hamlin suffered sudden cardiac arrest on the field. Fortunately, medical professionals were standing by, and an AED was readily accessible. Hamlin survived and went on to resume his playing career.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), nearly 90% of sudden cardiac arrest cases are fatal. But it doesn’t need to be that way. Research cited by the AHA shows that sudden cardiac arrest survival rates can double when AEDs are available in public spaces.
If you suspect someone has suffered cardiac arrest, waiting is not an option — even if paramedics are already on their way. It’s in those moments where AEDs play a critical role, bridging the gap between collapse and advanced care.
What is an AED?
An automated external defibrillator, or AED, is a portable device that analyzes heartbeats and, if needed, delivers an electric shock through a person’s chest in the hopes of restoring a normal rhythm.
AEDs may seem intimidating, but they are designed to be used by anyone — regardless of whether they are familiar with the device or not.
AEDs should be equipped with clear instructions — whether written down, delivered through voice prompts or even through video demonstrations — to guide a rescuer through deployment.
How does a defibrillator work?
AEDs are built to remove guesswork in an emergency. Here are the basics of what happens when you turn one on:
- The device analyzes the victim’s heartbeat once pads are placed.
- The victim’s heart rhythm determines whether a shock is needed.
- If a shock is needed, the device will either deliver one automatically or prompt the rescuer to hit a button to deliver a shock.
- Newer-model AEDs will even share vital data with 911 centers, including the victim’s heart rate, time since activation and number of shocks delivered.
- The AED will not deliver a shock or prompt the user to deliver a shock unless it is medically appropriate, a safeguard that allows untrained bystanders to act with confidence.
How to use an AED
According to the American Red Cross, these are the steps rescuers should take to effectively deploy an AED for adults or children who are older than 8 years old and weigh more than 55 pounds.
- Complete
the CHECK and CALL steps.
- Check to make sure the scene is safe for you and the victim.
- Check the person for responsiveness by tapping them and shouting.
- Check to see if the person is breathing normally. If the person is gasping, treat it as if they are not breathing.
- Call — or instruct a fellow bystander — to call 911 while you or another person grabs the nearest AED.
Once an AED is available, turn it on and follow the prompts.
- Remove any clothing covering the victim’s chest. If necessary, wipe their skin dry. Place one pad on the upper right side of the chest and place the other pad on the lower left side of the chest, a few inches below the armpit. If the pads touch, place one in the middle of the chest and the other on the victim’s back, between the shoulder blades.
- If necessary, plug pad connectors into the AED.
- Let the AED analyze the victim’s heart rhythm. Make sure no one is touching the victim by saying “CLEAR” in a loud, commanding voice.
- If the AED recommends a shock, again make sure no one is touching the victim by saying “CLEAR” again in a loud, commanding voice. Some devices will deliver a shock automatically, others will require you to push a button to initiate a shock.
- Continue to follow the prompts. If the AED does not recommend a second shock, immediately begin CPR.
CPR and AEDs — why they work better together
CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is an emergency procedure bystanders can perform when a victim is unconscious or unresponsive. It’s conducted through a series of chest compressions that simulate a heartbeat, helping circulate oxygenated blood when the heart is not beating effectively.
AEDs are meant to work alongside CPR, not replace it. Used together, AEDs and CPR buy time before paramedics arrive.
Helping your employees get their CPR and AED certification increases their confidence, reduces their hesitation and improves their coordination during a high-stress emergency. Even brief familiarity with CPR and AED usage can make a meaningful difference.
Why every workplace needs an AED
Safety and facilities leaders know that it’s impossible to predict an emergency, but they need to be prepared to respond. That’s why equipping your facility with an AED is vital.
According to the National Institutes of Health, up to 1,700 lives are saved in the U.S. every year through AED usage.
“Bystanders have the potential to save a life,” said Dr. Myron Weisfeldt, a Johns Hopkins researcher who’s studied the impact AEDs have on sudden cardiac arrest survival rates. “This should be a great incentive for public health officials and bystanders to strive to have AEDs used on all victims of cardiac arrest.”
AED maintenance — an often-overlooked risk
Just owning an AED is not enough.
Imagine that a person collapses. A bystander rushes to grab the nearest AED, only to find that the battery is depleted. When time is of the essence, spending time hunting down a second AED may be the difference between life and death.
AEDs require routine maintenance and inspections, including:
- Battery checks and replacement
- Pad expiration monitoring
- Regular functionality tests
- Updating compliance records
Without regular servicing, an AED can quietly become unreliable. For organizations responsible for employee and public safety, that risk can be easy to underestimate and hard to accept.
Make your workplace rescue ready
For many organizations, an AED program fits into a broader safety and compliance picture.
High-level considerations include:
- Selecting optimal device placement and including signage
- Enrolling employees in vital first aid, CPR and AED courses
- Ensuring accessible documentation in the event of an audit
Learn more
Explore how Cintas can help keep your workplace rescue ready with ongoing service and the latest in AED technology.
Customer is solely responsible for conducting its own risk or hazard analysis, for obtaining regulatory guidance, and for choosing the type and number of AEDs needed and the placement of those AEDs at Customer’s facilities. Any services provided by Cintas are limited to those explicitly contracted for by Customer. If Customer has entered into a service or maintenance agreement with Cintas, Customer is responsible for notifying Cintas of any faults, alarms, or indications that the AED is not functioning properly between Cintas’s periodic service or maintenance visits. Customer is responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable laws and, if necessary, must obtain a prescription for the AEDs, ensure the AEDs are subject to medical oversight, and take all other necessary steps to comply with applicable law. Cintas is not a health-care provider and does not issue prescriptions, provide medical oversight, or provide other related healthcare or medical services. Rather, if explicitly contracted for by Customer, Customer receives access to a third-party who can provide a prescription for the AEDs, provide medical oversight, register the AEDs with local EMS, and provide Customer access to the third-party’s online software portal.