Automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, are the only product that can stop sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) from becoming sudden cardiac death. AEDs were designed to be easily placed in public gathering places and as such are smaller and more portable than their counterparts in hospitals are. Because of this, and because they may be needed in an area where there is no electricity, AEDs are powered by batteries. It can be said then, that AED batteries are one of the most important components of the AED unit; without a battery, the AED will not work.

AED batteries come in two forms, rechargeable and non-rechargeable. AED Brands carries both types of AED batteries as well as battery chargers. An important part of any AED program is ensuring that your AED battery is charged and in working order; it can be a matter of life and death.

This became all too clear on Saturday, June 25, 2011 when a member of the Balance Gym in Washington, DC collapsed and died. A witness to the tragedy said that during the resuscitation attempt it was discovered that the AED’s batteries were dead and had been removed from the unit. Pete Piringer, the DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department spokesperson, said,
It is critical the [AED] batteries and pads are checked on a regular basis. Your pads may be one or two years old and possibly even expired.
He also said that automated external defibrillators are useless if they are not maintained properly. This includes having a regularly scheduled AED battery test, to make sure the battery is fully charged and ready for use. It is unclear if the victim would have survived even if the AED batteries had been working, however, no one will ever know.

All fifty states and the District of Columbia have enacted some form of legislation to encourage businesses, such as health clubs, schools, golf courses, and other public gathering places like airports and convention centers, to provide AEDs on their premises. However, the District of Columbia does not require private health clubs to have working AEDs onsite.

Treating SCA is an urgent medical emergency because the time from the victim’s collapse to the time of brain damage or death, can be as short as five minutes. Most SCA victims do not survive if not treated by an AED in less than ten minutes.

Studies estimate that nearly 400,000 Americans suffer sudden cardiac arrest each year. This number includes all ages, from infants to the elderly. To help save these victims, AEDs and working AED batteries are needed where people gather; they need to be regularly maintained and checked to ensure that if and when an SCA emergency happens, the AED battery will be ready to charge the AED and hopefully restart the victim’s heart.