First Aid Acronyms Explained – AED & PAD

First Aid Acronyms Explained – AED & PAD

Updated January 2021

An acronym is a word or name formed as an abbreviation, created from the initial letters of a phrase or a word. The first aid world uses many acronyms to help us remember different treatments. In this series we have explained the meanings of the most common first aid acronyms to help you avoid confusion!

 Green sign and poster showing use of an AED. For outside the AED box.
Signs and posters outside the AED box now have more user friendly language!

AED & PAD

These two acronyms are closely linked:

Automatic

External

D Defibrillator

and

P Publicly

A Accessible

D Defibrillator

Both are referring to Defibrillators.  Publicly Accessible Defibrillators are generally automatic, or AED’s.  This is because it is intended that they can be used in an emergency by any member of the public, with or without prior training.

What is an AED?

An AED is a defibrillator machine that provides a casualty suffering from Cardiac Arrest an electric shock if required, hopefully resetting their heart.  Without a Defibrillator, a casualty suffering from Cardiac Arrest is less likely to survive.

What’s Automatic About AEDs?

The term ‘Automatic’ or ‘Automated’ refers to the intelligence of the defibrillator machine.  It will give you, the user, voice prompts or instructions telling you what to do.  Once you have stuck the pads correctly to the casualty’s chest, it will then monitor their heart to ascertain whether a shock is advised or not.

Not all Cardiac Arrests are the same, a shock is not advised in some circumstances, but the AED will recognise this.

Following the administration of an electric shock, the AED will then continue to give instructions as to what to do next.

What is a PAD?

Rural AEDs

A Publicly Accessible Defibrillator is one that is placed in a prominent public place within a community. For a member of the public to use in an emergency.

They are usually stored in a green or white case with a flashing green light indicating that they are ‘primed’ and ready to use. They may be locked and the keypad code is given when you phone 999/112 and tell them your location or AED identity number.

Check out our blog post for more info on maintaining community AEDs

The video shows how to carry out CPR, and use an AED during the CPR protocol. This gives your casualty the best chance of survival.

There are plenty more videos on our Youtube channel and blog too if you are interested in finding out more. Or come on one of our courses, which all contain AED training and practice!