You may have heard the term AED but aren’t 100% sure what this item is. An AED, or automated external defibrillator, is a safety product used when someone is experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. It’s an essential item to have in your commercial building should you need it in the case of an emergency.
Understanding What an AED Is and How It Works
An AED is a tool used during CPR to help resuscitate an individual who is going through a sudden cardiac arrest event. The AED will determine the individual’s heart rhythm and then deliver an electric shock if necessary. The shock will help to re-establish the heart’s rhythm. This lifesaving method is essential to have on hand as you never know when you’ll experience a medical emergency such as this.
5 Reasons You Need an AED
As you can probably tell, this type of lifesaving device is essential. To provide more detail, here are five reasons you need an AED in your business:
- Sudden cardiac arrest is a serious medical emergency. In fact, it’s a leading cause of death in the U.S. With this frequency in mind, it’s important to have a lifesaving tool on hand should it be needed.
- An AED provides assistance while the first responders are on their way. You can help the individual in the meantime when you have an AED available.
- The average response time for first responders is approximately 8 to 12 minutes. With every minute there is delayed defibrillation survival odds are reduced by 10%.
- Local laws and regulations may require you to have an AED on your business premises.
- AED safety devices are easy to use once you have the right training.
Risk of Not Having One Available
It’s vital to have an AED within your business should a cardiac emergency occur. If you don’t have one in the building, you may not be able to help the person in sudden cardiac arrest. Plus, the individual’s survival rate decreases without this immediate defibrillation. In addition, certain local laws and regulations may require you to have one.
Therefore, you can see why having an AED in your business building is essential.