Understanding the Critical Difference Between Cardiac Arrest and Heart Attack — Why Proper AED Maintenance Saves Lives

WINDSOR LOCKS, CT, UNITED STATES, December 3, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Every year in the United States, hundreds of thousands of people experience cardiac emergencies — yet one of the most dangerous misconceptions persists: a cardiac arrest and a heart attack are NOT the same thing. Understanding the difference is essential, because each medical event requires a different response, a different treatment, and an entirely different timeline for survival.

A heart attack is a circulation problem. Just like a plumbing blockage in a home, a heart attack occurs when blood flow to part of the heart muscle becomes blocked. The person is often awake, breathing, and talking, and time remains to call 911, keep them calm, and get medical professionals in route.

A cardiac arrest, however, is an electrical problem. It is the equivalent of the home’s electrical system suddenly short-circuiting. The heart stops beating effectively, the person collapses, stops breathing, and death occurs within minutes if no immediate action is taken. “Immediate” is not a figure of speech — it is literal. Brain damage begins in 4–6 minutes. EMS cannot arrive in time.

Without an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) nearby and a confident responder willing to act, the chance of surviving a cardiac arrest is less than 5% nationwide.

Yet when an AED is close by, in good working order, and used quickly by someone willing to try, survival rates can skyrocket to over 70%. This dramatic difference comes down to one thing: speed to defibrillation.

AEDs Are Safe, Smart, and Designed for Ordinary People

One of the most important public-safety messages today is this:

You cannot hurt someone with an AED.

Modern AEDs are extremely safe, intuitive, and engineered to deliver a shock only when the heart is in a shockable rhythm. If the person is not in cardiac arrest, the AED will not deliver a shock — ever. The device analyzes the heart rhythm and makes the decision for the rescuer.

This means:
If you’re not sure whether the person needs it, put the pads on anyway. The AED will tell you what to do next.

The Hidden Threat: Poorly Maintained AEDs

Despite their importance, AEDs often fail during an emergency — not because of a manufacturing defect, but because they were not properly maintained.

Pads expire. Batteries deplete silently. Electrodes dry out. Firmware updates get missed. AED cabinets get opened and never checked again. These issues create silent, invisible failures that only surface when a life depends on the device.

A well-intentioned business, school, or municipality may purchase an AED, but without a compliant, systematic maintenance program, the device may not be ready when needed most.

AED SERVICE AMERICA: Taking the Burden Off AED Owners Nationwide

AED SERVICE AMERICA exists for one reason: to ensure that every AED its team touches is Response Ready — every hour, every day, in all 50 states.

The company provides fully compliant, onsite AED maintenance and management, handling every detail on behalf of AED owners so that no one is ever left wondering whether their device will work in a crisis.

Services include:

Onsite inspection by certified AED technicians

Real-time verification reports for every device

Pad and battery replacement management

Comprehensive compliance tracking

Loaner AEDs during service

48-hour response guarantee (achieving under 4 hours in 99% of cases)

AED SERVICE AMERICA eliminates uncertainty and replaces it with guaranteed readiness — ensuring the AED you bought to save a life will actually save one.

A Call to Action

Owning an AED is essential.
Maintaining it properly is non-negotiable.
Understanding the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest — and responding appropriately — is the difference between life and death.

For more information about compliant AED maintenance and national service programs, visit AEDserviceAmerica.com.

Media Inquiries

Douglas Comstock
support@AEDserviceAmerica.com

Doug Comstock
AED Service America
+1 8609703250
Dc@AEDserviceAmerica.com

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