AED

An Automated External Defibrillator or more commonly known as an AED is a very important piece of healthcare equipment used to help save lives. This battery operated machine can literally save lives minutes after SCA or Sudden Cardiac Arrest. AED's are used to treat heart failures, correct arrhythmias or abnormal heart rhythms, prevent further deterioration of the heart and many more life saving interventions. Due to its valuable impact on one's health, different laws had been passed requiring big establishments such as buildings, parks, fitness centers, schools and all others to have an AED present and usable all the time. However, AEDs are battery operated machines that needs to be cared and maintained to prevent deadly failures and risky malfunctions. Owning an AED is the first step to saving lives, however there are certain steps one should take to guarantee that it's functional when you need it.

First, all AED's perform a regular self-check of their circuitry and the battery to verify that the internals are working properly and the battery has enough of a charge to shock a patient. If the device is not functioning properly then it will begin beeping or chirping until someone inspects it.

Secondly, you should check the expiration dates of the pads and battery. Both components have a shelf life anywhere between 2-5 years. Batteries are composed of lithium ion which will eventually not keep a charge after several years. The pads have a special adhesive gel that attaches to the patient during an emergency which will dry out and prevent proper connection. When the pad is not secured to the patient the AED will be unable to detect the heart rhythm of the patient rendering the device useless.

Lastly, you should check with the manufacturer to see if there have been any recalls. These devices are highly regulated by the FDA and they often recall these units. Typical recalls involve firmware of the device. If you device has had a firmware update you should contact the manufacturer to see if you should upgrade yours to a compliant version.

A defibrillator is a highly sophisticated and with regularly inspection you will be sure that your device is ready when an emergency occurs. If you own one of these devices you should build into your company's standard operating procedures at minimum quarterly inspections. After each inspection the date and outcome of the inspection should be documented. These few steps are all that is required to make sure your defibrillator is maintained and ready for use.  You should also always verify that your aed batteries are fully charged and ready for an emergency.