AEDs

Automated external defibrillators: ZOLL AED 3 in semi-automatic, fully automatic and BLS configurations, ZOLL AED Plus and AED Pro, and the Cardiac Science Powerheart G5. The first decision is semi-automatic versus fully automatic — semi-auto prompts a trained responder to press the shock button, fully automatic delivers the shock itself once it has analyzed and warned, which suits a site where the likely responder has little or no training. BLS and Pro units add a manual mode and monitoring intended for professional responders, not for a lobby cabinet. Electrode pads and batteries are dated consumables with their own expiration, and both have to be tracked separately from the unit.