In an emergency, a defibrillator is a valuable piece of lifesaving equipment. Defibrillators are small, portable devices that enable you to deliver an electric shock that can restore the heart’s natural rhythm.

To save lives and minimize the risk of injury to the individual receiving or administering care, a defibrillator must work properly. Here are a few important reasons to regularly test EMS supplies, like your defibrillator. 

You’ll Have the Security of Knowing You Can Provide Rapid Emergency Assistance

When someone is experiencing a cardiac emergency, every minute counts. Each minute that it takes to restart their heart lowers their chance of survival.

This means that in an actual emergency, you don’t want to waste time trying to figure out why the unit isn’t working properly or risk it not working at all. 

You Can Confirm That the Machine is Safe to Use

A defibrillator that isn’t properly maintained may not be safe to use on an individual in cardiac distress. Regularly testing your defibrillator allows you to maintain safe EMS supplies that are ready to use in a medical emergency. 

You Have a Chance to Check All the Features 

Many defibrillators have a feature that provides instructions about how to use the device in conjunction with CPR.

These instructions are essential for helping someone who isn’t familiar with the device properly use it to restore proper cardiac function and minimize oxygen deprivation to the brain.

Testing the defibrillator lets you make sure that all the functions, including the usage prompts, are in proper working order.

Guidelines for Testing Your Defibrillator

It’s best to test your defibrillator every six months or according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. 

Follow the testing procedures in the service manual when possible; if you don’t know who manufactured the unit or don’t have access to the manual, it’s acceptable to follow generic testing procedures. 

Get the EMS Supplies You Need

Visit Coast Biomedical Equipment to stock up on EMS supplies or add a defibrillator to your emergency equipment.