The automated external defibrillator (AED) has been described as the single most important development in the treatment of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). These devices are now widely available and increasingly used by people, often with little or no training, to re-start the heart of a victim of SCA. Their increasing presence in workplaces is brilliant news for victims. To ensure the AED remains ready for an emergency, proper maintenance is required. The good news though, is the amount of maintenance they require is minimal.

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When someone suffers a cardiac arrest, time is of the essence. If we can get to them quickly, start CPR quickly and get a defibrillator on them quickly, we dramatically improve their chance of survival, but without these vital interventions, the victim will almost certainly die.

There is nowhere more challenging for this to happen than in the community, whether at home, at the shops or at work. Ambulance services will always strive to arrive on scene as fast as they can, but often it is too late.  

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