What is the purpose of using an AED?

The purpose of using an AED, or Automated External Defibrillator, is primarily to analyze the heart's rhythm and deliver defibrillation when necessary. In cases of sudden cardiac arrest, the heart may go into life-threatening arrhythmias such as ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia. The AED is designed to detect these dangerous rhythms and, if detected, will prompt the user to administer an electrical shock (defibrillation) to allow the heart to re-establish an effective rhythm.

Additionally, while many medical devices perform critical functions in emergency situations, such as monitoring blood pressure or checking blood glucose levels, those tasks fall outside the scope of an AED's designed purpose. Furthermore, manual chest compressions, while essential for patient resuscitation, are a separate life-saving technique that may be performed alongside or before the use of an AED, but do not involve the AED's primary function, which centers on rhythm analysis and defibrillation.