They were also instructed on how and where to properly place the pads on the mannequin's chest so that the electrical shock to defibrillate the heart would be given safely and correctly. The children were not allowed to ask questions during the test, and researchers provided no other guidance. Their performance times were compared to those of 22 trained emergency medical technicians and paramedics who also had no previous experience with this type of defibrillator, but were trained in defibrillation and cardiac arrest rehabilitation. All of the students said they believed they could use the AED on a family member should the need arise. We now have evidence that the operational design of the AED tested in this study is very user friendly.
Training is crucial.
While this study proves that AEDs are extremely easy to use, it's important to remember that you can't just arrive on the scene of an emergency and hook someone up to the device. An AED does not help someone who is choking. He blames that on lengthy response times resulting from limited access to emergency medical personnel who are equipped with AEDs or other defibrillators. The American Heart Association states that expanded access to AEDs and increasing the number of people who are trained to use them can dramatically increase survival from cardiac arrest. Inc. All rights reserved.