AED
The automated defibrillator carried on board for cardiac arrest, which cabin crew are trained to use alongside CPR.
Definition
An AED is an automated external defibrillator, a portable device that analyses a collapsed person's heart rhythm and delivers a shock if it detects a shockable arrhythmia. The FAA has required one on US passenger aircraft with at least one flight attendant since 2004; EASA does not mandate it, but most major airlines carry one. The device talks the user through each step, and crew training pairs it with CPR.
What it means for you
You are trained to use the AED as part of the CPR sequence in initial and every recurrent, and you will know where it is stowed on each aircraft you fly — a standard briefing question. Using it is a matter of following the voice prompts and keeping the aisle clear; the difficult part is the decision to start CPR, which the training rehearses until it is reflex.
In practice
An American Airlines crew retrieve the AED from its overhead stowage when a passenger collapses without a pulse over the Atlantic, apply the pads while a colleague continues compressions, and the device advises a shock.
Related terms
4 terms- First aidSafety & trainingThe medical training and kit that make cabin crew the first responders to any illness or injury at 38,000 feet.
- DiversionFlight operationsLanding at an airport other than the planned destination — for weather, a technical fault, fuel or a medical emergency on board.
- Recurrent trainingSafety & trainingThe mandatory yearly refresher and check that keeps your SEP, first-aid and type qualifications valid.
- SEPSafety & trainingSafety and Emergency Procedures — the core safety syllabus every cabin crew member is trained and re-examined on.