Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)

About AEDs

• An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a device designed to assist emergency responders with heart attack victims.
• An AED automatically analyzes the heart rhythm of a heart attack victim and advises the responder through computerized voice instructions
• By following the automated advice, a responder can administer an electric shock to the victim's heart. If successful, the heartbeat is restarted and the victim's life can be saved.

AEDs allow a wide range of responders to treat heart attack victims swiftly.

• An AED can be used by firefighters, paramedics, EMTs or by the public in response to someone who is experiencing a sudden cardiac arrest.
• AEDs have been shown to increase survivability in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest.

AEDs bring lifesaving care to under-served areas of Mississippi.

• 70 percent of Mississippi is considered rural, with no major medical center nearby.
• First responders in rural areas are often not heart attack specialists. AEDs provide immediate assistance to the victim without waiting for transport to a hospital.
• As of August 2006, 68 Mississippi counties have had AEDs installed in volunteer fire departments, police departments, and public buildings

The MDH Rural Health AED program

• The Mississippi Department of Health uses funds from the federal Rural Access to Emergency Devices Grant to purchase and place AEDs in the state.
• The program also provides funding for training so that certified personnel and the public can administer appropriate treatment to those suffering from a heart attack.