Many organizations have invested in automated external defibrillators (AEDs), medical devices designed for use by lay people to give victims of one of the nation’s leading killers — sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) — a fighting chance at survival. With upwards of 395,000 people experiencing SCA outside of hospitals each year in the U.S., and the fact survival depends upon access to an AED within minutes, more organizations of all sizes are recognizing the critical importance of having AEDs onsite in the event they are needed.
But having AEDs is not the same as having an AED program. True success in the form of an AED program involves preparation and performance, and requires knowledge, proper set-up and ongoing and careful management.