What Should You Do to Use an AED on Someone Submerged in Water?

When a person experiences Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), the heart suddenly stops beating normally. This condition is life-threatening and can cause death if not immediately treated. In fact, each minute after the onset of SCA, a person’s survival chances decrease 7 to 10%. The best treatment for SCA is immediate CPR and the use of an AED or Automatic External Defibrillator.

SCA can happen at any time, including when a person is in water. Keep reading to learn the proper procedure for using an AED on someone who is in water.  

What should you do if you need to use an AED on someone who has been submerged in water?

Since AEDs deliver an electrical shock, you must take specific care when treating cardiac arrest patients who have been submerged in water. You cannot use an AED in water!

Avive recommends three simple steps when responding to someone suffering Sudden Cardiac Arrest: Call-Push-Shock. If you see someone who might be experiencing cardiac arrest, immediately:

1. Call 911.
2. Perform hands-only CPR.
3. Use an AED to deliver a lifesaving shock to the heart. If the person does not need the shock, the AED will not deliver one.

In order to use an AED on someone who is wet or is submerged in water, make sure to:

1) Remove patient from water and move to dry area

If you’re responding to someone who you suspect might be in cardiac arrest and they’re submerged in water, the first thing you must do is relocate the person to a dry area. Once you’ve safely removed them from the water, make sure that the ground around the patient is dry.

2) Remove wet clothes

Before you can connect the AED's electrode pads to the person’s chest, you must take the time to remove their wet clothing so that you can access their bare chest.

Many AEDs are sold with scissors, which makes it easier to remove the patient's clothing during an emergency. If you do not have scissors, remove the clothing as quickly as possible by ripping or pulling the shirt off over the neck.

It’s crucial to act with speed, as every second counts when it comes to an SCA. Do not worry about preserving the clothing – it’s better to save the person’s life.

3) Dry the patient's chest

Once you’ve removed the person’s shirt, it’s crucial to dry the skin on the patient's chest thoroughly, removing any water. Even limited water could impact the AED’s adhesive electrode pads, causing a problem with their application to the person’s chest.

The AED may come with a towel to dry your victim. If not, use anything you have immediately available to remove all the moisture from the skin on the chest. Be sure to dry as much surface area as possible, not just the specific location of the electrode pads. Dry their ribs, upper stomach, and near the neck and armpits.

4) Attach the AED's electrode pads

Every AED analyzes a person’s heart rhythm to determine if a shock is necessary or not. If the AED determines a shock is needed, it provides an electrical shock to the patient using two electrode pads. These pads have an adhesive that enables them to stick to the bare skin of the person’s chest.

Once the chest is completely dry, you can place the AED electrode pads per the AED's instructions.

5) Move away from patient before the AED delivers the electric shock

Once the electrode pads have been applied to the patient’s chest, the defibrillator will begin analyzing the patient’s heart rhythm. If the AED determines the person requires a shock, the device will charge and deliver its required therapy. Some devices deliver a shock automatically, and others require users to physically press a button to deliver the shock. These two different models of AEDs are called semi-automatic and fully-automatic AEDs.

Always read the user manual for your AED, and make sure to follow the AED’s instructions, including not touching the patient when instructed.

Conclusion

If a person experiences a Sudden Cardiac Arrest, using an AED can save their life. When using a defibrillator on someone submerged in water, it’s crucial to get the person on dry land first. You cannot apply the AED's electrode pads until the shirt has been removed and the skin dried thoroughly. Once the person’s skin is dry, power on the AED and follow its instructions the same way you would during a normal response!

FAQ

Is an AED safe to use in water?

Many people wonder if an AED be used in water. AEDs analyze people’s hearts to determine if therapy is required. If so, the AED can deliver an electric shock to the heart to cause it to resume beating in a normal rhythm. Water and electricity never mix. Therefore, you should never use an AED while submerged in water or on a person who is wet.