Choosing the Right AED for Sports
Here are 6 important factors to consider in choosing the right AED package for your sports needs.
Size & Weight
Mobility
Durability
Ease-of-Use
Visual Instructions
Cost
Athletes constantly travel for competition and training. A small and lightweight defibrillator is ideal to avoid having the device left behind because it is too heavy or bulky.
Several AED versions are meant to be fixed in a wall cabinet. Because of the transitory nature of athletes in competition, be sure to have an AED that is designed with mobility in mind.
AEDs, especially when they are needed at a moment’s notice, are constantly tossed around. Thrown in the back of a trainer’s golf cart or gear bag, an AED in a sports setting must be durable. If a durable device is too pricey, there are always cases to protect the AED.
In the event of a cardiac arrest, especially in an athletic competition setting when adrenaline is already high, it is ideal to have an AED that is simple to operate. Nerves and time pressures can make so that an AED seems more complicated than it is.
In large stadiums, it can be difficult to hear command prompts from the AED. Visual descriptions on an AED can be helpful. Be sure your AED has visual instructions.
Budgeting is almost always a concern. The cost of owning an AED is more than the face value of the device. Additional costs of electrode pads and replacement batteries can be pricey, so purchasing a device with a low initial cost can offset the expenses incurred to maintain the AED. Additionally, an affordable AED allows organizations to deploy more units, more widely, so that greater areas offer life-saving protection.