Automated external defibrillators: How to use an AED

Sudden cardiac arrest is among the leading cause of death in the United States and this year alone, more than 350,000 people will experience a cardiac arrest. In the hospital setting, defibrillators are used to deliver a jolt of electricity to the person's chest to get the heart beating again. Outside of the hospital, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are portable devices that are used to revive someone suffering cardiac arrest. AEDs can be found in many public places and don’t require any special training to use, however knowing where to look for them and how to use them could possible help save someone’s life.

Dr. Alice Gallo De Moraes is chair of Mayo Clinic’s Medical Emergency Response Subcommittee which oversees all cardiac arrests and rapid response in the Rochester campus, demonstrates how to use an AED.
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