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Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation III: AED Use

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Introduction to AEDAn Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a portable medical device that analyzes the heart's rhythm and, if necessary, delivers an electrical shock to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm during sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). SCA occurs when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating, leading to a loss of blood flow to the brain and other vital organs. In such emergencies, time is of the essence, and using an AED, combined with Cardiopulmonary...

Electrocardiogram Fundamentals

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Definition
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Parts of an ECG
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Electrocardiogram

Electrocardiogram

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 27, 2026

A Rat Model of Ventricular Fibrillation and Resuscitation by Conventional Closed-chest Technique

A Rat Model of Ventricular Fibrillation and Resuscitation by Conventional Closed-chest Technique

Published on: April 26, 2015

Electrical exposure risk associated with hands-on defibrillation.

Daniel L Lemkin¹, Michael D Witting¹, Michael G Allison²

¹Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.

|July 5, 2014

Summary

Hands-on defibrillation (HOD) may expose rescuers to dangerous electrical energy, with measured voltages up to 827V. Current protective equipment is insufficient, posing risks during cardiac arrest resuscitation.

Keywords:

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation Defibrillation Rescuer

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Area of Science:

Emergency Medicine
Biomedical Engineering
Cardiology

Background:

Hands-on defibrillation (HOD) is proposed to minimize chest compression interruptions during cardiac arrest resuscitation.
Concerns exist regarding rescuer safety due to potential electrical energy exposure during HOD.

Purpose of the Study:

To quantify the plausible worst-case electrical energy exposure for rescuers during hands-on defibrillation.
To assess the risks associated with current HOD techniques and equipment.

Main Methods:

Utilized six cadavers for defibrillation experiments.
Measured differential voltages and skin contact resistance at various anatomic locations.
Derived a rescuer-received dose (RRD) formula to estimate energy transfer.

Main Results:

Rescuer exposure voltages ranged from 200V to 827V.
Estimated RRD values ranged from 1 to 8 Joules.
These energy levels exceed accepted safety thresholds.

Conclusions:

Hands-on defibrillation with current protective equipment and procedures presents a significant risk to rescuers.
HOD should be considered dangerous until improved protective equipment and techniques are developed.