AED & CPR: Would You Ever Use One Without The Other?
If you are faced with a situation where someone is experiencing sudden cardiac arrest, would you know whether you should use an AED or perform CPR? Would you know if you could safely use an AED and CPR together?
If you didn’t have the answers to these questions right now, no need to worry – you are not alone.
As a quick recap, here’s when to start thinking about CPR and AEDs.
Airway (check airway for blockages), Breathing (watch chest for breathing), and Circulation (check for a pulse). If any of these fail, call 911 and get an AED.
Cardiac arrest is when the heart stops beating suddenly. According to The Heart and Stroke Foundation, an estimated 35,000 cardiac arrests occur in Canada each year. The vast majority happen in public places or at home, and few people survive. But, survival rates double if someone performs CPR and uses an automated external defibrillator (AED).
Those stats are staggering. They clearly illustrate the importance and life-saving power of AED and CPR intervention.
*AEDs and CPR are used in incidents of cardiac arrest, not heart attacks. Find out why and learn more about the differences between these Cardiac Arrest and Heart Attacks.
What Are The Differences Between An AED And CPR?
Though both an AED and CPR are used to treat cardiac arrest, there are some notable differences. In short, AEDs and CPR are two different steps within the same life-saving process.
CPR: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation 
- What is it? A life-saving process
- What does it do? Acts as a manual heartbeat and artificial respirator
- How does it help? Provides the brain and heart with oxygenated blood
AED: Automated External Defibrillator
- What is it? A life-saving device
- What does it do? Sends an electric shock through the body
- How does it help? Kickstarts the heart back to a normal rhythm (out of fibrillation)
CPR is a crucial step to keep vital organs alive while waiting for an AED or emergency responders, but it cannot “restart” a heart. An AED ‘defibrillators’ the heart back into a normal healthy rhythm.
How Do I Know When To Perform CPR And When To Use An AED?
Both an AED and CPR are extremely important tools in a cardiac emergency. Both have immense life-saving power. But, how do you know when to use what and when to use them together?
When To Use CPR
CPR should be administered if:
- The individual is not breathing (this includes laboured breathing or breathing that sounds like gasping)
- You cannot find a pulse
- The individual is unresponsive/unconscious
Begin right away If you are alone, if you are waiting for someone to bring you an AED, or if there is no AED available. It is worth noting that CPR is a very early and important step in the Chain of Survival.
When To Use An AED
An AED should be used if:
- The individual’s heart is in fibrillation (cardiac arrest) – which will be analyzed by the AED
- When a shock is advised, shock immediately.
If someone is experiencing sudden cardiac arrest, the ONLY way to return the heart to a normal rhythm is by use of an AED. An AED should be used on anyone who requires CPR.
Can An AED And CPR Be Used At The Same Time?
Yes!
CPR + AED = increased chance of survival
In fact, “if you perform CPR and use an AED on a person experiencing cardiac arrest, you have doubled their chance for survival”. Because CPR keeps blood flowing and an AED kickstarts the heart back into a healthy heart rhythm, the odds of someone surviving cardiac arrest improve significantly when the two methods are used in tandem.
*Note: You would stop performing CPR while the AED is analyzing and shocking, but may resume after a shock has been delivered – Philips AEDs will walk users through this.
Every emergency scenario is different. Ideally, a case of cardiac arrest has occurred in a place where there are other people around to help you. If this is the case, send someone to retrieve the AED and ask them to call 911. Do not stop performing CPR once the AED arrives. Instead, have someone else follow the AED voice prompts to prepare it for use. If you are alone and there is no AED nearby, continue administering CPR until help arrives.
Interested in learning more about AEDs and CPR? First Edition First Aid offers first aid courses and safety training. Click here to learn more!
