Premergency First Aid, CPR and AED Manual

5 Cardiovascular Emergencies, CPR and AED Trauma Patients and AEDs For patients with severe trauma injury, first aid for cardiac arrest comes before first aid for injuries, even if you suspect the injury has caused the problem. If there are multiple persons available and other people can provide first aid for injuries, such as bleeding, then do so. If not, provide first aid to injuries only if the patient revives and no longer requires CPR. Environmental Concerns The reason you do not touch a patient when they are receiving a shock is to prevent the electric shock being transmitted to you. Be aware in wet environments to avoid the chance of electricity being conducted through the water and into you. If possible, move the patient to a dry area. Wipe away excess moisture from the patient’s chest with a towel or cloth. In addition to a razor, many AEDs include paper towels for this purpose.

AEDs are approved for use on a patient who is lying on a metal surface; however, you should move the patient to a non-conductive surface if possible. The motion of a vehicle can interfere with the AEDs ability to determine heart rhythm. AEDs can still be used in a vehicle, such as a car, but the vehicle must be stopped for the machine to properly analyze the heart. AEDs can be used on boats, trains, and planes without stopping the vehicle. AED Troubleshooting and Maintenance Occasionally you may receive an error message. The AED may indicate ‘check pads’ or ‘motion detected.’ This can happen if the pads are not connected to the machine properly or if the pads are applied to excessively wet or hairy skin. Check the connection first and if the error repeats, carefully remove the pads, and dry or shave the area before reapplying. If there is a second set of pads, remove the original pads and apply the second set of pads.

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