FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

RCUK has designed a sign that many public spaces equipped with a PAD will display. There are many different signs that mark the location of the AED. When you call the ambulance service you will be directed to the nearest registered device. Staff working at the location should also know the location of the nearest AED. 

Your nearest rescue-ready public access AED can be found on the national defibrillator network, The Circuit. 

When calling the emergency services, the call handler will also tell you where the nearest PAD will be.

Public Access Defibrillation describes the use of AEDs by members of the public. AEDs can now be found in many busy public places including airports, mainline railway stations, shopping centres, and gyms. They are meant to be used by members of the public if they witness a cardiac arrest. 

AEDs are very reliable and will not allow a shock to be given unless it is needed. They are extremely unlikely to do any harm to a person who has collapsed in suspected Sudden Cardiac Arrest. They are safe to use and present minimal risk to the rescuer, provided the instructions are followed. These features make them suitable for use by members of the public with little or no training. 

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) occurs because the normal electrical rhythm that controls the heart is replaced by a chaotic disorganised electrical rhythm called ventricular fibrillation (VF). 

An AED delivers a high energy electric shock to an individual in SCA caused by VF to restore the heart’s normal rhythm. AEDs are compact, portable, easy to use and guide the operator through the process with prompts and commands. The AED analyses precisely the individual’s heart rhythm and will only deliver a shock if it is required.