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Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
Modern AEDs:
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)
What is SCA?
The heart normally has a rhythmic beat. When someone experiences sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), the victim’s heart stops beating normally, or beats erratically. Blood stops circulating adequately, and the victim loses consciousness. Breathing stops and the person will die if they do not receive prompt medical attention.
Signs and symptoms of SCA
Symptoms of SCA are very sudden and dramatic. Typically, the victim will collapse, and show no sign of a pulse. At this point, emergency medical help must be summoned, and the AED used.
Many AEDs will prompt the operator through the necessary steps to use it. The AED then checks for the presence of a shockable SCA event. The AED either prompts the operator to apply a shock to the victim’s heart or will prompt to continue CPR. If the AED does not sense a shockable event, no shock is given.
Other AEDs function automatically, applying a shock to the victim after sounding a warning alarm.