Train first responders to bring AEDs with them
A defibrillator won't do any good if it's not taken to the patient, so easy access is a big issue when setting up an automatic external defibrillator (AED) program. This advice comes from Paula Smith, RN, BSN, COHN-S, manager of occupational health services at the Hewlett-Packard site in Andover, MA:
· Mount the units so they are easily found and grabbed.
In terms of where to place an AED, think of it as being comparable to a fire extinguisher. It should be visible, easy to reach, and easy to obtain. At Smith's workplace, the units are mounted on the wall with breakaway locks that only ensure the unit has not been tampered with. A user can simply grab the unit and pull it off the wall without having to use a key or any other special access. A sign above the unit indicates that it should be used only by authorized personnel, namely the first responders.
(See p. 118 for a photo of how the units are wall-mounted in Smith's workplace with a metal bracket her maintenance staff made themselves.)
· Instruct your first responders to always grab an AED on the way.
Since first responders usually do not know the nature of the medical emergency when they are called, both Hewlett-Packard sites instruct them to grab an AED if they pass it on the way to an emergency. That cuts down the response time if the emergency turns out to be a cardiac event. "We use the same policy for the emergency carts that are stationed throughout the area - if you pass one, grab it and bring it with you," Smith says. "We may end up with four or five AEDs on the scene, but that's OK."
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