An Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) is a portable medical device that can be used to restart a patient's heart if they have suffered a cardiac arrest – that is, their heart has suddenly stopped.
The device analyses the patient's heart rhythm and if necessary, delivers an electric shock to restart the heart or restore its natural rhythm.
AEDs can be used by anybody – you do not need to have had medical training.
If you own an AED, you can register it on the GoodSAM AED registry.
The registry allows people to quickly locate publicly available AEDs in a cardiac arrest emergency.
Note: You can also register an AED even if you do not own the AED, as the registry accepts crowdsourced information.
Last updated: 12 January 2025