First Aid Acronyms Explained – AED & PAD

Updated April 2023

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!

AED & PAD

These two acronyms are closely linked:

A Automatic

E 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 means they do all the analysing and put a charge through the casualty without any intervention by the bystander or first aider. 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. So once you turn it on, it guides you through what to do until the emergency services arrive.

What is a PAD?

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

They are usually stored in a green, yellow or white case. Some have 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

Where can I find the nearest defibrillator?

To find your nearest defibrillator, phone 999 or look at the map based site operated by the ambulance services www.defibfinder.uk

All defibrillators should now be registered with the national database which is www.thecircuit.uk

How do I use a defibrillator?

The following 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 more than 40 videos on our YouTube channel that demonstrate a range of common first aid techniques and skills.

You can buy a defibrillator in our online shop! Find out more here.

Get confident – get some first aid training

We cover CPR and AED use on all of our First Aid Courses. We go through the procedure with special trainer defibrillators so you can get practice and experience before you ever have to use it. Our systematic approach to teaching first aid helps your learning and understanding of many illnesses and injuries. Practicing first aid techniques reinforces your learning too. Find our more about our full range of First Aid Courses here.

Every client on our courses receives a FREE Digital First Aid Manual relevant to the course they come on. You can also view and buy our manuals in our online shop.