After you have used an AED

Once you've used an AED unit, you need to make sure it's ready for next use. Now, some AED units will have spare pads in, in which case, you can do this really, really quickly. If not, you're going to have to phone up the supplier where you got your AED from and get him to send over some new pads for the unit. Now, some AED manufacturers with the heart sign here, they would take the data from your units and they'll often replace the pads for free. So, it's worth checking that out, but the heart sign, it's great, 'because you can send away the data, and then they will give you the pads for free. And this is important for the manufacturers because if they get more data on the actual heart rhythms from the unit, they can then improve their AED units and also help improve save more lives. 

Now as far as taking the data off, with the heart sign units, you need to open it up, and at the very top, there's a connection. So, you can just open the connection and this is where a USB cable will go in and it will connect straight on to your computer. There's software that's for free downloads. You can download the software first, take the data off of the unit and this is the data that the manufacturer will want. Once you've done this, take the cover and put that back in place so that we keep that nice and covered for dust and humidity reasons. Pop the unit back in the case, making sure that the tab is in place.

Zip it back up again and all the data now is off of the unit. When the pads arrive for your AED unit, or if you've got spare ones, just open it up. If you just squeeze on the side here, that will release the old pads' cartridge. It may be that where you've used the old pads, you've taken away, you've never bothered putting them back in. Once you put the new unit in, just line it up so it's nice and level, slide it in 'till it clicks. Just double check that it's in firmly, and then the unit is ready to go to. And remember with this unit, the batteries are in there as well. So, by changing the pads, you've also put new batteries in. So, it's important to update your records for the AED unit to say that new pads have been set in on this date, and that will then reset how long you need to then change those batteries and pads when they come up to their expiry date. After you've used other AED units, it's going to be slightly different because the batteries and the pads are separate. With the heart sign, they're all one unit. So, for example, with the ZOLL, you may well be able to leave the batteries in because there's nothing wrong with them, or it maybe you've used the AED unit for an excessive amount of time.

So, you could, if you had them, put new pads in, but it's always a good idea to replace the batteries after you've used an AED unit because now you've taken away some of that performance. So, if you got pads, you can put them in. Just make sure that you pop the pads in correctly in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, and when possible, also then change the battery pack.