FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Fortunately, sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in school-age children is rare. Resuscitation attempts at schools are more likely to be made on an adult (staff member or visitor) than a pupil. The presence of an AED at a school therefore provides potential benefit for everyone present at the site. 

The Department for Education encourages schools in England to consider purchasing one or more defibrillators, and has published Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs: a guide for maintained schools and academies). It provides details on how to install, use and maintain a defibrillator in school, and how to buy a defibrillator.  

Resuscitation Council UK recommends that AEDs located in schools are accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The DfE programme will achieve even greater defibrillator coverage across England if they are placed on school gates and accessible to whole communities, rather than being locked inside schools. 

Yes. Fortunately, cardiac arrest is rare in people who are pregnant, but if it were to occur it is quite appropriate to use an AED. The procedure is the same as in the non-pregnant person, but it is important to place the pads clear of enlarged breasts. 

Yes, it is usually safe to use an AED on an individual who is lying on a metallic, wet or other conductive surface. If the self-adhesive pads are applied correctly, and provided there’s no direct contact between the user and the individual when the shock is delivered, there is no direct pathway that electricity can take that would cause the user to experience a shock. If the individual is wet, their chest should be dried so that the self-adhesive AED pads will stick properly. 

AEDs have been used by untrained people to save lives. Clear, spoken instructions and visual illustrations guide users through the process. Lack of training should not be a barrier to someone using one. If a person is in cardiac arrest, do not be afraid to use an AED.