Originally Posted by
waredu
Unless it is seriously broke - they have all kinds of safeties built in to prevent them from being used to shock things that shouldn't be shocked. If your heart is beating regularly - it won't shock. If your heart isn't beating at all - it won't shock. Your heart has to be in some kind of fluttery rhythm for it to shock. I'm only talking about the portable kind you find in office buildings, schools, churches, etc. The ones in hospitals are different - but only trained medical personnel are using those. The ones that dummies like me can use are designed so I can't abuse them.
I would be far more afraid of opening one up and parts still being energized than I would be of putting them on my chest (or anywhere else) and pushing a button.
I've heard of people being thrown across the room by having the smallest contact point with the charge (stethoscope dangling in an unfortunate place) - these are the ones in hospitals. You also can't assume if it is one the portable AED's that are everywhere that it was functioning properly when it was discarded or that your heart is beating as it should. Some people walk around with irregular heart beats and don't even know it.
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