Where Should You Put Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)?
For individuals suffering from sudden cardiac arrest, a defibrillator, also known as an automated external defibrillator (AED), can restore a normal heart rhythm.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that public access defibrillators (PADs) be placed in areas where large numbers of people gather, such as schools, gyms, recreation centres, and workplaces.
But with so many potential places to install an AED, the question arises: where should an AED be placed?
Here are the things to consider when choosing where to place an AED.
High-Risk Activity Areas
AEDs should be positioned in buildings and locations where certain heart-stressing activities occur since these activities might trigger SCAs.
Athletic clubs, stadiums, gyms, fitness centres (particularly those that cater to a more adult clientele), and destinations for adventure or extreme sports are some examples of these places.
Other places can include those with high levels of risk or stress at work or demanding physical activity.
Historical Data
AEDs should be placed in locations with higher-than-average SCA incidence rates, according to past studies.
Despite the fact that we've already discussed high-risk activity areas, research indicates that AEDs can also be installed in high-traffic areas, including factory/manufacturing floors, corporate cafeterias and lunchrooms, senior care and recreation facilities, retail malls, and hotel common areas.
Volume of People
Because anyone can acquire an SCA regardless of race, age, gender, or fitness level, it stands to reason that the more individuals there are in one place, the higher the risk that an SCA will occur.
Buying an AED makes sense, given the enormous crowds in shopping malls, convention centres, sports arenas, schools, universities, and transit hubs.
At Home
Although we have prioritised the installation of AEDs in workplaces and public spaces, most of the 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur each year at home.
Before the COVID-19 epidemic, this was the situation when high-risk individuals stayed at home and more people worked remotely.
Purchasing an AED is a wise choice for residences, apartment complexes, and areas where high-risk people and families reside.
Building Security
Facilities managers must ensure that staff or bystanders can collect an AED swiftly because SCAs call for doing so in three minutes or fewer. This shows that to provide adequate coverage and accessibility, more than one AED may be needed for a particular site.
However, survival rates as high as 70% have been observed when defibrillation is administered within one minute. The one-minute delay lowers the likelihood of successful defibrillation by 10%.
Access to AEDs
AEDs should be installed in facilities with appropriate signage identifying them, and they should be kept in an accessible, unlocked storage cabinet. Because it should be brightly marked and set on a wall, the cabinet should be simple to spot even in a crowded area.
Don't forget to consider your placement concerning distance as well as the number of stairs, areas with restricted access, and crowded areas you must navigate to get to the AED maintenance from every area of your building.
Conclusion
Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are an important tool in providing life-saving assistance to individuals suffering from sudden cardiac arrest. It is important to strategically place AEDs where they can be easily accessed in case of an emergency.
AEDs should be placed in public places such as schools, offices, shopping malls, airports, and other areas with large numbers of people. It is also important to ensure these devices are properly maintained and tested to ensure they are in working order.
By strategically placing AEDs in public spaces, we can help ensure that individuals suffering from sudden cardiac arrest have access to life-saving assistance.
Restart The Heart is a trusted defibrillator supplier in Australia. We supply AED pads and batteries for all brands. Simply order online today!