AED Technology

It's No Shock: AED Training Can Save Lives

Feb. 6, 2012
A registered nurse is leading a nationwide effort to train citizens in the proper use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to help save thousands of lives.

An estimated 340,000 people die annually from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Barbara Riegel, DNSc, RN, associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, urges everyday citizens to learn how to use life-saving AEDs to help prevent some of those deaths. You don't need to be in medical expert to get started, either: Riegel stressed that advances in AED technology allow anyone to safely use the device.

"Historically, only physicians were trained in and allowed to use defibrillators," she explained. "Now the technology has developed to the point that the machine reads the rhythm, so no one – not physicians, nurses, or lay people – needs to interpret the rhythm before using a defibrillator. These machines do it with excellent accuracy."

Riegel added that no matter what TV shows might lead us to believe, an AED will not "shock" the patient or disrupt the normal heart rhythm. When it comes to AEDs, there's nothing to fear – unless no one near the cardiac patient is trained to use one.

"People are no longer questioning whether laypersons can be trusted to use defibrillators; people now view AEDs in the same light at CPR," she said.

So the next time you watch an on-screen nurse or doctor shout "Clear!" while using an AED, remember that anyone can – and should – learn how to safely use the device. Even you.

About the Author

Laura Walter

Laura Walter was formerly senior editor of EHS Today. She is a subject matter expert in EHS compliance and government issues and has covered a variety of topics relating to occupational safety and health. Her writing has earned awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE), the Trade Association Business Publications International (TABPI) and APEX Awards for Publication Excellence. Her debut novel, Body of Stars (Dutton) was published in 2021.

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