AED REGULATIONS, LIABILITIES, AND GUIDELINES

• AED Regulations, Liabilities and Guidelines
• Medical Direction/ Physician Oversight
• Training and Certification Bi-annually
• Liability

AED Regulations, Liabilities and Guidelines

AED regulations, liabilities, and guidelines are governed by the California Health and Safety Code, Title 22, and the California Code of Regulations. National standards for AED use by the lay provider have also been adopted. We have navigated these codes to provide you with up to date, accurate, and easy to understand definitions and explanations to assist you in establishing a compliant AED program.

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Medical Direction/ Physician Oversight

Medical Direction or Medical Oversight is a service provided by a Licensed Physician.  It includes:

• Ensuring that CPR/AED Training requirements are fulfilled.
• Developing an internal emergency response plan.
• Handling EMS registration upon purchase of AED.
• Handling EMS notification and hand off in the event that an AED is used.

There has been some confusion recently because the FDA which regulates AEDs on a national level, issued over the counter (OTC) clearance for the Philips HeartStart Onsite defibrillator.  This means that a physician prescription is no longer required to purchase these AEDs.   However, a prescription is not the same thing as medical direction. 

YOU ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE MEDICAL DIRECTION

Many state AED laws, including California, require that AED owners have a physician designated to oversee their AED program. The use of these devices is closely monitored to ensure their effectiveness and safety. They need to be evaluated on an annual basis to ensure that they are in working order and in appropriate locations. If they are used, an event review needs to take place within 24 to 48 hours of the incident. An event review includes downloading of information from the AED by the prescribing physician and the local EMS agency. This entire aspect of AED ownership is managed for you.

For a nominal fee, professional physician oversight and medical direction can be provided.  We certify your staff in CPR and AED use*, provide you with an Internal Emergency Response plan, and set up your AED maintenance program. We handle everything including initial EMS Agency registration and AED event review and EMS notification when an AED is used.

Our overseeing physicians are highly experienced emergency room/ trauma center doctors with vast knowledge in emergency cardiac care and treatments. The services that our team provides are always held to the highest standard and are in full compliance with CA State Title 22 regulations.

*Training costs are not included in medical direction costs.  Certifications last for 2 years.

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Training and Certification Bi-annually

ABC H&ST will get all your staff up and running with a thorough CPR and AED training session. We will continue to support you by offering re-certification courses on an as needed basis or at least once every 2 years.

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Liability

The laws surrounding AED usage vary from state to state. All states but one have passed Good Samaritan laws with language about AEDs. Additionally, the Cardiac Arrest Survival Act that was passed by Congress and signed by President Clinton in 2000, provides AED users and acquirers with protection from liability. This and similar legislation underway is helping to make AEDs the standard of care for SCA, and as such, organizations are increasingly at greater liability for failing to have these life-saving devices. For more information, visit the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association at http://www.suddencardiacarrest.org/default.asp

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ABC Health & Safety Training, (707) 453-1410

office@abchealthandsafety.com