Shocks are delivered one at a time, within milliseconds of pushing the shock button on the AED. Once a shock has been delivered, recommence CPR immediately, under the guidance of Operator 2 providing a verbal cue “shock delivered, CPR-Go” and a physical cue by tapping the hands of the next compression operator.
Important shock delivery protocols to remember are:
- Ensure no one is touching the patient prior to delivering shock. Rescuers are encouraged to hover their hands waiting to re-start compressions immediately. Long pauses occur if rescuers stay too far back, while the risk of accidental injury from being in contact with a patient during a shock delivery is incredibly low
- Keep AED pads attached after a patient shows signs of life to allow prompt action in the case that the patient’s condition deteriorates
- Respond to all prompts within safety constraints
- The AED will often have an in-built metronome set at 110 beats per minute. It is recommended that CPR is performed with guidance of a metronome, either via the AED, mobile app, or a physical metronome
- During AED analysis and shock, rescuers in Operator positions 1 and 3 alternate performing compressions, swapping at least every two minutes, or sooner if rescuer fatigue is noticed by the team.
All AED pads are single-use and should not be re-used on another patient.
Examples of AED prompts and appropriate action
AED prompts may vary, depending on the make and model, but they are usually similar to those shown in the following table:
