About AEDs

An automated external defibrillator, or AED, is a portable electronic device that stops the abnormal rhythm by shocking the heart. The device self-determines whether or not to shock so no human decision-making process is needed. 

Facts and features:

• Applied externally to the skin surface only
• Typically lightweight and portable
• Has 24-hour daily “self-checking” feature
• Device can be wall-mounted or carried easily
• Automatic voice prompts for CPR

Easy to Use

Wondering if AEDs are hard to use? They’re not. In fact, they are easy enough for the average sixth grader to use on their own. In a recent study, it took 15 sixth graders an average of 90 seconds to complete defibrillation, compared to the 67 seconds on average for EMTs/paramedics.

Watch this informative Save-a-life simulator and learn what the best actions to take are when a cardiac arrest strikes.