Quick answers
What is an AED and what does it do?
An automated external defibrillator is a portable device that analyses a collapsed person's heart rhythm and advises or delivers a shock only when it detects a shockable rhythm. It does not shock every cardiac arrest and does not replace CPR.
How to know if someone needs CPR and an AED?
Suspect cardiac arrest when a person is unresponsive and not breathing normally or is only gasping. Occasional gasps should not be treated as normal breathing.
How to use an AED on a collapsed person?
Make the area safe, call 112, send someone for the AED and start chest compressions. Switch on the AED, attach the pads to the bare chest as shown and follow every prompt, making sure nobody touches the person during analysis or shock.
What to do if the AED says no shock advised?
Resume CPR immediately. A no shock advised message does not mean the person is safe, so do not remove the pads and continue until signs of life appear, trained responders take over or you cannot continue.
What an AED can and cannot do
An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a portable device that checks the heart rhythm of a person in suspected cardiac arrest. It advises a shock only if it detects a rhythm that can be treated by defibrillation; some devices deliver the advised shock automatically. An AED does not shock every collapsed person, and it does not replace CPR or emergency medical care.
Recognise the emergency
If an adult is unresponsive and is not breathing normally, or is only gasping, assume cardiac arrest. Check that the scene is safe, call for help, and call India’s emergency number 112. Ask a specific person to bring the nearest AED while you begin CPR. Follow the emergency dispatcher’s instructions.
Start CPR while the AED is coming
Put the person on a firm, flat surface if this can be done safely. Begin chest compressions in the centre of the chest. Current adult basic-life-support guidance recommends a rate of 100–120 compressions per minute and a depth of at least 5 cm while avoiding excessive depth beyond 6 cm. Allow full chest recoil and minimise interruptions. These are adult figures; children and infants need different techniques. Hands-on training is valuable, but do not delay a response while waiting for a trained person.
Follow the AED’s prompts
Switch on the AED. Expose the chest and apply the pads exactly where the pictures on that device show. Dry a wet chest as needed and follow any device-specific instructions. Keep compressions going until the device tells you to stop for rhythm analysis. Make sure nobody is touching the person during analysis or shock delivery. If the device advises a shock, make sure everyone is clear and follow its prompt. If it says no shock is advised, do not remove the pads or assume the person is safe.
Resume CPR and hand over
Immediately resume CPR after a shock or a no-shock message, following the AED’s next prompts. Continue until the person shows signs of life, trained responders take over, or you cannot continue. Tell responders what happened, when CPR began, and what the AED said or did. The AED’s recorded information may help the treating team.
Make an AED genuinely available
For a workplace or public venue, decide AED locations using the actual building layout, access hours, population and timed retrieval drills. Keep signage clear and the cabinet accessible. Inspect the device’s ready indicator, pads and battery at the manufacturer’s stated intervals and after use; replace expired or used supplies. Train people across shifts and practice the emergency response. This guide does not establish a universal one-AED-per-floor rule, an Indian legal requirement, or a guaranteed survival time.
Important limits
Not every cardiac arrest has a shockable rhythm, and no AED guarantees recovery. CPR and prompt professional care remain essential. Pad placement, paediatric settings and special circumstances vary by device and patient; follow current training, the AED’s instructions and the emergency dispatcher. This article provides public awareness, not a substitute for hands-on training or medical advice.
Sources: American Heart Association, 2025 adult basic life support guidelines; Government of India Emergency Response Support System. Reviewed 29 September 2026.
What needs attention
- Cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack, although a heart attack can lead to cardiac arrest
- CPR circulates some blood; an AED may correct ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia
- A 'no shock advised' message does not mean the person is safe—resume CPR and continue emergency care
- The AED's analysis and safety prompts are designed to guide lay rescuers
- Early CPR and AED use can substantially improve survival, but no individual outcome is guaranteed
- Placement should be based on response-time testing, population, site layout and risk—not an unsupported one-device-per-floor rule
- A visible cabinet is not an AED programme unless pads, battery, accessories, training and response procedures remain ready
Controls that reduce risk
- Build a cardiac-emergency response plan around immediate recognition, 112 activation, CPR and AED retrieval
- Time the round trip from occupied areas to the proposed AED location during normal and restricted access
- Use clear standard signage and keep the cabinet unobstructed
- Train responders across every shift and refresh practical skills at the interval required by the training provider
- Inspect the status indicator, battery, pads, seals and accessories at the manufacturer's interval and after every use
- Track pad and battery expiry dates before they lapse
- Keep gloves, scissors, a razor, towel and CPR barrier with the AED where recommended
- After use, transfer care to EMS, preserve the event record, replace consumables and conduct a supportive debrief
Common unsafe practices
- Waiting for a doctor before starting CPR or switching on the AED
- Treating occasional gasps as normal breathing
- Stopping CPR for a long time while the AED is unpacked or pads are prepared
- Touching the person during rhythm analysis or shock delivery
- Removing the pads after a 'no shock advised' message instead of resuming CPR
- Believing an AED can accidentally shock a normal rhythm when used as directed
- Hiding or locking the AED where rescuers cannot retrieve it quickly
- Copying US legal, mounting-height or inspection claims into an Indian programme without local review
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