Originally Posted by
TheFiddler
All Jet2.com aircraft carry AED's. However in many cases they will not find a solution and so will not shock. Also, AED's are most effective used in conjunction with CPR - CPR pushes blood (and therefore oxygen) around the body, AED's shock the heart to try and get it restarted to push the blood itself. In my simple understanding of the terms.
TF.
This is close. The AED stops the heart - this is useful when the heart muscles are contracting out of their normal rhythm. The shock causes the entire internal pace-maker system of the heart to be overwhelmed and to allow it to re-establish the normal synchronization or normal rate. This works because the there is a necessary ion exchange that allows the nerves to function and that exchange was operational in the randomness of fibrillation or tachycardia.
If the heart has stopped on its own that ion differential no longer exists and shocks don't re-establish it. The AED probably doesn't make things worse - except if using it delays CPR. I think the modern ones mostly detect when the heart is not beating and won't apply the shock.
Of interest:
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/heal...-cardioversion Mostly that article is for people who aren't dying from the symptoms and are able to even schedule the procedure.
The above isn't medical guidance. Contact a licensed physician with any detailed questions.