Swansea University First Responders
How to use the AED
| IMPORTANT - Before deploying the AED you must first verify that the patient is unconscious and is not breathing. | |
STEP 1 |
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| ► Ensure that there's no danger - if you've used oxygen, move it well away from the patient | |
| ► Establish that the patient is unconscious by following the AVPU procedure | |
| ► Establish that the patient is not breathing - see How to do CPR | |
| If the patient is unconscious and is not breathing you should commence CPR and deploy the AED without delay. | |
STEP 2 |
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| ► | Bare the patient's chest. Remove anything that comes between the electrode pad and the bare skin such as clothing, medication patches, sweat and moisture. If the patient has a hairy chest you must shave the areas where the pads will be placed by using the disposable razor in the defibrillator (AED) lid. If possible, avoid placing the electrodes directly over surgically implanted devices, e.g. a pacemaker. Remember, the electrodes should only touch dry bare skin. |
| ► | We have two Medtronic Likepak CR plus AEDs and one Medtronic Lifepak 500 AED. Opening the cover of the Lifepak CR plus by pressing the button at the front automatically switches it on. If you're using the Lifepak 500 open the case and press the green button to turn it on. With either AED simply follow the voice prompts (also displayed in the LCD panel): |
| ► | If a shockable rhythm is detected you will hear the following prompts |
| Shock Advised. Charging | |
| ► | When the AED is ready to deliver a shock the shock button will flash and you will be prompted as follows: |
| Stand clear. Push shocking button to deliver shock | |
| ► | After the AED has delivered a shock the voice prompt will say: |
| Shock delivered | |
| ► | It is important to note that a shock will only be delivered when one is needed. You cannot accidentally shock someone. |
| ► | Following the shock you will be instructed to perform CPR and you'll hear the voice prompt say: |
| It is now safe to touch the patient. Start CPR. Give 30 compressions then give 2 breaths for 2 minutes | |
| ► | At the end of the CPR period the AED will analyse the heart rhythm and voice prompts will direct you to deliver additional shocks and continue CPR if required |
| ► | For a demo of the above click here. Note that this is an old video so the resuscitation protocol is out of date: The current protocol tells us to start chest compressions then rescue breaths immediately after establishing that the patient is not breathing normally, and of course the ratio for breaths to compressions is now 30:2, not 15:2. |