As we have previously learned, AED units are medical devices used to resuscitate patients in cardiac arrest, but why are they the most effective solution when out-of-hospital cardiac arrest occurs? The following reasons can answer this question:

Firstly, we should recognize that cardiac arrest is a disease that requires prompt intervention. SCA is a type of serious cardiac arrhythmia caused by the disturbance and interruption in the heart’s electrical conduction system. Most cardiac arrests are caused by ventricular fibrillation – a chaotic electrical impulse that prevents the ventricles from contracting, resulting in inefficient blood pumping. Suppose a patient in cardiac arrest does not receive timely and effective assistance. In that case, the patient can lose consciousness, have difficulty breathing, stop his pulse, and lose his life in as short as a few minutes due to a lack of oxygen and blood circulation to the brain.

According to studies, cardiac arrest is now one of the leading causes of death in populations worldwide. Sudden cardiac arrest occurs without an intro. A seemingly normal person can go into sudden cardiac arrest anywhere without any warning. In most cases, emergency medical teams can take as little as 7-8 minutes^[1] to arrive at the scene. Consequently, the patient may die within minutes or suffer irreversible brain damage because of untimely or even no defibrillation. Because of the high probability of such incidents, AED units must be widely available in public places so that passers-by can quickly use them to help the patient. As a result, current AED machines are designed to be simple and smart enough to allow even non-trained people to defibrillate a cardiac arrest victim by following the AED device's instructions.

The whole process of defibrillation is as follows: the AED unit analyses the patient's heart rhythm with electrodes and then concludes whether a shock defibrillation is required; if so, the patient is defibrillated utilizing the AED electrodes, which transmits energy to the patient, so that the disturbed heart rhythm returns to normal, the heart behaves normally as a contraction and blood circulation are restored. In brief, AED units provide timely and effective defibrillation interventions, allowing patients to receive timely help and raise hope for life.

The potential risk of sudden cardiac arrest increases in high-traffic public places because of the elevated crowd base. Therefore, AED units are must-have devices in all these places. If you are responsible for an area not yet equipped with an AED unit, you should deploy one as soon as possible. In addition, you should also train relevant staff about using AED units and performing cardiac resuscitation, preparing for emergencies.