When to Use a Defibrillator
When to Use a Defibrillator
Cardiac arrest can happen at any time and, with an onset of a matter of seconds, a fast response is crucial. Over the past few years, more and more defibrillators have been installed in public places like phone boxes, public bathrooms, shopping centres, schools, and community buildings to give people a greater chance of survival when cardiac arrest strikes.
In this blog post, we’ll answer the question ‘when do you use a defibrillator’?
Manual Defibrillators and AEDs
There are several different types of defibrillators, but the most common types are manual defibrillators and AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) or PADs (Public Access Defibrillators). Manual defibrillators are only used by qualified medical professionals to identify specific heart problems and use them accordingly. An AED defibrillator is designed to be used by people without training and can be used by the general public.
An AED will help an untrained person to properly administer a shock and support someone with cardiac arrest until emergency services arrive. They always come with clear instructions that are easy to read under stress and will assess a heart rhythm and deliver a shock if needed. You cannot accidentally shock someone with an AED, it will only happen if the machine determines it necessary.
There are two types of AEDs, fully automatic defibrillators and semi-automatic defibrillators. The only difference between the two is that a fully automatic defib is ready to administer a shock on contact at the right time, and a semi-automatic defib requires a button to be pressed to trigger the shock.
Does a defibrillator restart the heart?
Defibrillators, whether manual or automatic, detect the heart’s rhythm and administer an electrical shock if that rhythm is abnormal. Cardiac arrest is commonly confused with a heart attack. While both are serious, life-threatening conditions that require fast action, they are not the same and require different treatment approaches.
Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart’s rhythm stops working properly leading to a cessation of blood flow around the body, caused by malfunctions in the heart’s electrical system. When the electrical impulses that control the heart’s rhythm become chaotic, these abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) mean the heart is unable to pump blood consistently. This condition is referred to as ventricular fibrillation. Vital oxygen flow to the body’s organs stops, which can cause brain damage and death if not treated quickly.
The term ‘cardiac arrest’ doesn’t mean the heart has stopped working, so a defibrillator doesn’t need to restart the heartbeat. Rather, defibrillation resets the heart’s rhythm to a regular, consistent beat that is strong enough to pump blood at a healthy rate. Defibrillators work by detecting heart rate irregularity and passing an electrical current through the chest which de-polarises the cardiac muscle.
It’s important to remember that if a victim’s heart has completely stopped beating, a defibrillator cannot restart the heart. Learn more about how defibrillators work and the chances of survival when using a defibrillator on our blog.
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When should you use an AED?
When someone goes into cardiac arrest you should fetch a defibrillator and get it ready to use. Signs that someone has gone into cardiac arrest are:
There could also be warning signs just before someone goes into cardiac arrest. They might:
Without immediate medical attention, a person will die of cardiac arrest so it’s important to act quickly. Locate the nearest defibrillator or ask someone to find one for you and turn it on while you or someone else calls 999 and administers CPR. The next step after CPR is to use the defibrillator. An AED will come with clear instructions and you can also ask the 999 call handler to help you until emergency services arrive.
Learn more about how and when to use defibrillator products on our blog:
When Not to Use a Defibrillator
When people look up ‘what is a defibrillator used for?’ they might also wonder when you shouldn’t use a defibrillator. These are the times when you shouldn’t use one:
- When someone is having a heart attack. A heart attack happens when blood circulation is interrupted whereas a cardiac arrest is to do with the rhythm of the heartbeat. You can tell a heart attack from cardiac arrest because the person will still be conscious and breathing but will be in extreme pain.
- If the AED is out of date or if it has faulty parts. Check the expiration date on an AED before you use it or ask someone else to check. If the AED is out of date or parts aren’t working properly you could put the person at more risk.
You should also be careful to check for the following:
- Is the person lying in some water? Always move someone completely out of any water and dry off their chest before using an AED as you do not want the electricity of the pads to come into contact with water.
- Do they have a pacemaker? Check for a hard lump about 4 inches across in the person’s chest. Never place an AED pad over a pacemaker, instead place it as close to the correct position as possible.
- Does the person have a very hairy chest? Failure to make proper contact with the skin will mean the AED does not work. If possible, you could shave the area or if not just press down very hard.
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Equip Your Business or a Public Space With an AED
The iPAD-SP1 AED is an ideal AED to keep in your business establishment or any area where it is your responsibility to oversee peoples’ safety. Doing this could mean the difference between life and death for someone. The iPAD-SP1 AED is extremely easy to use increasing the chances of an untrained person’s ability to help someone in cardiac arrest. Each one has the following features:
- Easy-to-understand guidance, including voice prompts, meaning you can use the AED without having to look at instructions. The voice prompts also adjust automatically to be heard over loud noises if needed.
- A switch to change between adult and child modes.
- A pad indicator to show if a defib pad is not in the right place.
- A safety cover that prevents accidentally switching it on.
- Provides emergency crew with handover information including usage time and shocks delivered.
- The pads are compatible with NHS Ambulance Services equipment
- The lithium battery included has an expected 5-year warranty (become a partner with Steroplast for us to automatically notify you when you need to purchase a replacement AED battery).
- A 7-year warranty.
- A free upgrade to a 10-year warranty when you register with us.
You can make it even easier for people to access and use your AED with an indoor cabinet that alerts people when it is opened, or a wall-mounted bracket that means your AED will be visible and easy to grab at the crucial moment.
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Life-saving AEDs from Steroplast
Steroplast stocks a range of defibrillators and accessories to support your needs. Check out our guide: Different types of AED: How to Choose the Best Defibrillator For You And Your Needs for expert advice, or browse through our range of premium AED products below:
The iPAD Range:
- iPAD SPR Semi-Automatic Defibrillator
- iPAD NFK200 Semi-Automatic Defibrillator
- iPAD-SP1 - Defibrillator Training Unit
- iPAD-SP1 - Semi-Automatic Defibrillator
- iPAD-SP1 - Fully-Automatic Defibrillator
- iPAD - Starter Kit for Defibrillation
- iPAD-SP1 - Defibrillator Training Unit
- iPAD SP1 - Wall Mounted Bracket
- iPAD SP1 - Replacement Battery
- iPAD Saver - Replacement Pads
- iPAD SP1 - Child and Adult Replacement Pads
- iPAD SP1 - Orange Carry Case
We’re committed to providing information and support in all areas of healthcare. Check out these articles on our Knowledge Base to learn more about life-saving defibrillation:
Advanced Life Support & Equipment
Steroplast has a range of tried and tested life-saving and essential equipment that includes airway management, defibrillators and patient handling. Find out more below
If you would like a consultation with one of our experts about any of our Advanced Life Support & Equipment please get in touch:
Limited-time Offers
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When to Use a Defibrillator
Watch our video below for more information on when to use a defibrillator:
Please enter your details into the form below along with any questions or comments and a member of our team will be happy to provide you with more information:
When to Use a Defibrillator
Cardiac arrest can happen at any time and, with an onset of a matter of seconds, a fast response is crucial. Over the past few years, more and more defibrillators have been installed in public places like phone boxes, public bathrooms, shopping centres, schools, and community buildings to give people a greater chance of survival when cardiac arrest strikes.
In this blog post, we’ll answer the question ‘when do you use a defibrillator’?
Manual Defibrillators and AEDs
There are several different types of defibrillators, but the most common types are manual defibrillators and AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) or PADs (Public Access Defibrillators). Manual defibrillators are only used by qualified medical professionals to identify specific heart problems and use them accordingly. An AED defibrillator is designed to be used by people without training and can be used by the general public.
An AED will help an untrained person to properly administer a shock and support someone with cardiac arrest until emergency services arrive. They always come with clear instructions that are easy to read under stress and will assess a heart rhythm and deliver a shock if needed. You cannot accidentally shock someone with an AED, it will only happen if the machine determines it necessary.
There are two types of AEDs, fully automatic defibrillators and semi-automatic defibrillators. The only difference between the two is that a fully automatic defib is ready to administer a shock on contact at the right time, and a semi-automatic defib requires a button to be pressed to trigger the shock.
Does a defibrillator restart the heart?
Defibrillators, whether manual or automatic, detect the heart’s rhythm and administer an electrical shock if that rhythm is abnormal. Cardiac arrest is commonly confused with a heart attack. While both are serious, life-threatening conditions that require fast action, they are not the same and require different treatment approaches.
Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart’s rhythm stops working properly leading to a cessation of blood flow around the body, caused by malfunctions in the heart’s electrical system. When the electrical impulses that control the heart’s rhythm become chaotic, these abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) mean the heart is unable to pump blood consistently. This condition is referred to as ventricular fibrillation. Vital oxygen flow to the body’s organs stops, which can cause brain damage and death if not treated quickly.
The term ‘cardiac arrest’ doesn’t mean the heart has stopped working, so a defibrillator doesn’t need to restart the heartbeat. Rather, defibrillation resets the heart’s rhythm to a regular, consistent beat that is strong enough to pump blood at a healthy rate. Defibrillators work by detecting heart rate irregularity and passing an electrical current through the chest which de-polarises the cardiac muscle.
It’s important to remember that if a victim’s heart has completely stopped beating, a defibrillator cannot restart the heart. Learn more about how defibrillators work and the chances of survival when using a defibrillator on our blog.
When should you use an AED?
When someone goes into cardiac arrest you should fetch a defibrillator and get it ready to use. Signs that someone has gone into cardiac arrest are:
There could also be warning signs just before someone goes into cardiac arrest. They might:
Without immediate medical attention, a person will die of cardiac arrest so it’s important to act quickly. Locate the nearest defibrillator or ask someone to find one for you and turn it on while you or someone else calls 999 and administers CPR. The next step after CPR is to use the defibrillator. An AED will come with clear instructions and you can also ask the 999 call handler to help you until emergency services arrive.
Learn more about how and when to use defibrillator products on our blog:
When Not to Use a Defibrillator
When people look up ‘what is a defibrillator used for?’ they might also wonder when you shouldn’t use a defibrillator. These are the times when you shouldn’t use one:
- When someone is having a heart attack. A heart attack happens when blood circulation is interrupted whereas a cardiac arrest is to do with the rhythm of the heartbeat. You can tell a heart attack from cardiac arrest because the person will still be conscious and breathing but will be in extreme pain.
- If the AED is out of date or if it has faulty parts. Check the expiration date on an AED before you use it or ask someone else to check. If the AED is out of date or parts aren’t working properly you could put the person at more risk.
You should also be careful to check for the following:
- Is the person lying in some water? Always move someone completely out of any water and dry off their chest before using an AED as you do not want the electricity of the pads to come into contact with water.
- Do they have a pacemaker? Check for a hard lump about 4 inches across in the person’s chest. Never place an AED pad over a pacemaker, instead place it as close to the correct position as possible.
- Does the person have a very hairy chest? Failure to make proper contact with the skin will mean the AED does not work. If possible, you could shave the area or if not just press down very hard.
Equip Your Business or a Public Space With an AED
The iPAD-SP1 AED is an ideal AED to keep in your business establishment or any area where it is your responsibility to oversee peoples’ safety. Doing this could mean the difference between life and death for someone. The iPAD-SP1 AED is extremely easy to use increasing the chances of an untrained person’s ability to help someone in cardiac arrest. Each one has the following features:
- Easy-to-understand guidance, including voice prompts, meaning you can use the AED without having to look at instructions. The voice prompts also adjust automatically to be heard over loud noises if needed.
- A switch to change between adult and child modes.
- A pad indicator to show if a defib pad is not in the right place.
- A safety cover that prevents accidentally switching it on.
- Provides emergency crew with handover information including usage time and shocks delivered.
- The pads are compatible with NHS Ambulance Services equipment
- The lithium battery included has an expected 5-year warranty (become a partner with Steroplast for us to automatically notify you when you need to purchase a replacement AED battery).
- A 7-year warranty.
- A free upgrade to a 10-year warranty when you register with us.
You can make it even easier for people to access and use your AED with an indoor cabinet that alerts people when it is opened, or a wall-mounted bracket that means your AED will be visible and easy to grab at the crucial moment.
Life-saving AEDs from Steroplast
Steroplast stocks a range of defibrillators and accessories to support your needs. Check out our guide: Different types of AED: How to Choose the Best Defibrillator For You And Your Needs for expert advice, or browse through our range of premium AED products below:
The iPAD Range:
- iPAd - Starter Kit for Defibrillation
- iPAD-SP1 - Defibrillator Training Unit
- iPAD-SP1 - Semi-Automatic Defibrillator
- iPAD-SP1 - Fully-Automatic Defibrillator
- iPAD SP1 - Wall Mounted Bracket
- iPAD SP1 - Replacement Battery
- iPAD Saver - Replacement Pads
- iPAD SP1 - Child and Adult Replacement Pads
- iPAD SP1 - Orange Carry Case
We’re committed to providing information and support in all areas of healthcare. Check out these articles on our Knowledge Base to learn more about life-saving defibrillation:
Advanced Life Support & Equipment
Steroplast has a range of tried and tested life-saving and essential equipment that includes airway management, defibrillators and patient handling. Find out more below
If you would like a consultation with one of our experts about any of our Advanced Life Support & Equipment please get in touch:
When to Use a Defibrillator
Watch our video below for more information on when to use a defibrillator:
Please enter your details into the form below along with any questions or comments and a member of our team will be happy to provide you with more information:
