A severe sudden cardiac attack (SCA) victim has just six minutes before the brain dies. To increase the chance of survival of the sufferer, within three to four minutes one needs to use an AED.  If the victim is not responding when spoken or shaken or the victim is not breathing then Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) should be initiated and an AED should be placed on the victim as soon as possible.

Here are some simple steps on how to use an AED. When using an AED on a victim's chest, one needs to keep in mind a very important point that  AEDs are not for use on trauma patients, children under the age of one  or victims that have a pulse.

1. Dial 911 to call for help and find a person who knows how to perform CPR and deploy an AED.
2. If the victim is not breathing or responding start with the  CPR. Studies suggest that uninterrupted CPR is an important factor in increasing the recovery rate of SCA patients.
3. There is always a prep kit included with an AED, consisting of gloves, a razor, scissors and a wipe. If the victim has lots of hair on his chest then remove it with a razor so that the Defibrillator pads can be applied directly on the skin.
4. Remove jewelry that hangs around the neck or the chest. If the chest is wet, dry it up with the wipe.
5. Use scissors, if necessary, to remove the clothes of the victim covering the chest area.
6. Follow the instruction of the AED voice prompter. Put on the gloves, peel the  AED pads from the package and  place the electrode pads  on  either sides of the victim’s chest as isntructed. Some units have only one pad, just listen for prompted information to guide you. The pads are pre-jelled with a conductive substance which is quite sticky. The pads or the package also have a picture showing where to place them.
7. Switch on the AED.  Depending on the model of the AED you may have to pull a handle or push the on button. do not touch the victim now.
8. The AED will automatically analyze the heart rhythm of the victim and inform you whether shocks are indicated. A shock is only indicated if the victim’s heart is in ventricular fibrillation. If you get a no shock message from the AED it can mean that the victim has regained his or her proper rhythm.
9. Begin Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation( CPR) immediately after a shock is administered for two minutes. AEDs automatically reanalyze if another shock is needed. AED will shock up to three times.
10. If the AED does not advise a shock, check the pulse, and if there is none, continue CPR  until emergency medical personnel arrive and take over.