What is an AED?
An automated external defibrillator is a device used to administer an electric shock through the chest wall to the heart. Built-in computers assess the patient’s heart rhythm, judge whether defibrillation is needed, and then administer the shock. Audible and/or visual prompts guide the user through the process.

Who can use an AED?
Most AEDs are designed to be used by non-medical personnel such as police, firefighters, flight attendants, security guards, and other lay rescuers who have been properly trained. Having more people in the community who can respond to a medical emergency by providing defibrillation will greatly increase sudden cardiac arrest survival rates.

Why does someone having a heart attack need an AED?
When a heart attack becomes a full cardiac arrest, the heart most often goes into uncoordinated electrical activity called fibrillation. The heart twitches ineffectively and can’t pump blood. The AED delivers electric current to the heart muscle, momentarily stunning the heart, stopping all activity. This gives the heart an opportunity to resume beating effectively.

HeartSaver AED Course
This four-hour course will train a rescuer to use the combination of CPR and an AED to render aid to a victim of sudden cardiac arrest. The course is recommended for lay rescuers in the workplace or other public places where 40 or more people gather at any given time. It is estimated that up to 50,000 American lives could be saved per year if public access defibrillation were commonplace.

Contact Leslie Greaves at 325.670.4308 or email: lgreaves@ehendrick.org to schedule a date and time to attend a program.