Four companies market such devices, which are of high quality and reliability, according to initial field testing. Nonphysicians can learn to use an AED in about an hour. The user simply applies the two electrodes to the left apex and the right base of the chest. In monophasic models, the electric current travels from the positive electrode pad to the negative pad. The current in biphasic models travels in both directions.
Maintenance is minimal on AEDs.
The devices are equipped with long-life batteries and have features that notify the users when battery replacement is needed. Most professional football and basketball teams have AEDs on the sidelines, according to AED manufacturers, and the devices are becoming more common in professional baseball dugouts. A number of college teams, including at least 12 schools in the Southeastern Conference, have purchased AEDs, and I expect use to increase in high school sports. The school board in Jackson County, West Virginia, purchased AEDs for the county's two high schools after a baseball player in an adjacent county died following a hit in the chest by a baseball. AEDs are also showing up in other sports settings, according to AED industry sources, including golf courses and ski hills.