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Select an AED for your facility
Caveat
The guidelines provided here are designed to help you select
an AED for a public access defibrillation program. In such a program, the
device that you ultimately select will be used infrequently, if ever. Our
suggestions may not apply to those selecting AEDs for environments where
the AED will be used weekly or monthly.
We are often asked our opinion
of the ‘best’ AED and our stock answer is that it’s the one that is
closest in the event of a cardiac arrest. No AED has been proven to be
scientifically superior to the others and, because of the nature of the
product, it is unlikely that there will ever be a Consumer Reports-type
rating of these medical devices.
There are only five or six
manufacturers who produce AEDs for use in the United States and each
device has been thoroughly tested and approved by the Food and Drug
Administration. What follows are some suggestions and factors that may
guide you in your search for an AED to protect your facility. After you
have reviewed this list click here to see a side-by-side comparison of the AEDs that are available in the United States.
Seek the advice of others
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Your program will require
medical direction. Ask your physician whether he or she recommends one
model over another and why.
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Ask your local ambulance
squad the same question. Often members of this group will have experience
with AEDs in other facilities and can comment on their strengths and
weaknesses.
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Find out what AEDs have been
selected by other facilities similar to yours in your area, why they made
their selection, and whether they are satisfied with their choice or not.
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If you are choosing a
second, third or fourth AED for your facility, buy the same model as you
already have unless there is some problem with it. There is a real
advantage to having all AEDs in your facility be the same model.
Do not rely exclusively on information you
are given by sales representatives
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It is unlikely that any
single distributor sells every model of AED available. It is even more
unlikely that a sales rep. for any distributor will conclude that an AED
he does not sell is superior to one he does.
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Too often, sales reps focus
more on what is wrong with a competitor’s AED than the real strengths of
their own. Often their criticism of the competition is exaggerated or
simply wrong. Take good notes and when the competition shows up, ask about
the weakness that were pointed out to you. You will get an answer, but
don’t be surprised if sales rep. #2 counters with weaknesses in the model
being sold by the first guy. It’s the nature of the beast. Be critical of
anything you are told especially if it isn’t backed up in writing.
Consider where the AED will be placed
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Any AED will do well as long
as it is kept in a stationary location in a heated building. If it’s moved
in and out of the trunk of a security vehicle that patrols your property,
you need to be concerned with its durability and its ability to withstand
some abuse. None of them will hold up if they are permanently stored in
overly hot or cold areas during all seasons of the year.
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AEDs placed in facilities
where noise is a problem (or be used by people with hearing impairments)
should provide both visual and verbal prompts. In noisy ares, the
rescuer can rely on visual directions.
Do not be (too) concerned with operating
costs
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Check warranties to make
sure that if your AED malfunctions, it will be repaired promptly and at no
cost.
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Expensive maintenance
programs are not required for AEDs in public access defibrillation
programs. However, such plans are recommended for AEDs that see heavy use.
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Claims that replacement
batteries and electrodes are expensive need to be put into perspective.
Most AEDs will be used so infrequently that the cost of replacing these
items is inconsequential.
Consider the population you are trying to
protect
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Every AED will work with
adults. While cardiac arrest in children is rare, should this group make
up a significant segment of your population, consider an AED that can be
used with pediatric patients.
Think about the ease of use of the AED and
the level of training of those who may use it
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The fewer steps that must be
followed, the faster a shock can be delivered
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The less training a rescuer
receives, the more directions he will probably need (even though it has
been shown that people with no training can intuitively use AEDs).
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Try each model out to see
whether the number of prompts ‘feels’ right – enough to provide guidance
but not so many as to bog a rescue down
Determine how often and how thoroughly an
AED performs self tests and how easy it is to manually check the AED
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All AEDs perform self- tests
to determine the adequacy of the battery and the internal circuitry.
Consider how often this test is performed and how the results are
communicated to you.
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Periodically, the AED should
be manually checked. This may only mean that someone checks to see that
its ‘Ready’ signal is displayed and that the electrodes and battery are
present and within their expiration dates. Models differ on how easily
these tests can be completed.
No one model is likely to come out on top
in every category. Realize that the only wrong choice you can make is not
to buy an AED after you have determined that your facility needs one.
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