First Aid – Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
In some first aid situations, the victim’s heart will be beating too quickly or in an irregular manner. In cases like these, an automated external defibrillator, also known as an AED, can be used to shock the person’s heart back into a normal rhythm. In this course, you’ll learn when and how to use an AED, including an automatic AED and a semi-automatic AED.
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Course Details
Learning Objectives
At the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Explain the first aid to provide if someone suddenly collapses and appears to be unconscious
- Explain the first aid to provide if you come upon someone who is unconscious
- Explain when to summon emergency medical assistance
- Explain what an AED is
- Explain what an AED does
- List and explain the different basic parts of an AED
- List the two basic types of AEDs
- List the steps of using an automatic AED
- List the steps of using a semi-automatic AED
Specs
Frequently Asked Questions
When should emergency medical assistance be summoned in a situation requiring the use of an AED?
Do all AEDs work the same way?
What’s the best way to know how the AED at my workplace operates?
Do all workplaces have an AED?
What’s the best way to learn if my workplace has an AED?
What are the basic parts of an AED?
Is each pad the same as the other?
When should one use an AED?
How can you tell if a person’s heart is beating too quickly or in an irregular manner?
What does the AED do if it determines that the person’s heart is beating too quickly or in an irregular manner?
What does using the AED on a person do?
Sample Video Transcript
If a person suddenly collapses and is unconscious, or if you come across someone who is unconscious, any number of things may be wrong. In some cases, their heart may be beating, but beating too fast, or beating both too fast and in an irregular manner. In both cases, even though their heart is still beating, their body may not get enough oxygen. This can very quickly cause permanent brain damage or even death. In this course, you’ll learn how to provide first aid to a person with an irregular heartbeat by using an automated external defibrillator, or AED.
Additional Resources
- American Red Cross – www.redcross.org
- Red Cross AED webpage – http://www.redcross.org/prepare/location/workplace/easy-as-aed
- American Heart Association – www.heart.org
- American Heart Association AED Programs Q&A webpage – http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/CPRAndECC/WorkplaceTraining/AEDResources/AED-Programs-Q-A_UCM_323111_Article.jsp#.VkDtSXmFPIU
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute – www.nhlbi.nih.gov
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute AED webpage: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/aed/
