Representation of female and male pictorial instructions on automated external defibrillators, pad packages, and defibrillation pads.
Only 3.9% of automated external defibrillators included any female pictograms; most showed only male figures
Representation of female and male pictorial instructions on automated external defibrillators, pad packages, and defibrillation pads.
To evaluate the representation of sex pictograms displayed on automated external defibrillators (automated external defibrillators), pad packages, and defibrillation pads, assessing inclusivity and potential implications for real-life automated external defibrillators use.
Between May and October 2025, investigators from seven countries worldwide captured original photographs of automated external defibrillators, pad packages, and defibrillation pads from manufacturers, distributors, and institutional networks.
Female pictograms were rare across all reviewed automated external defibrillators, pad packages, and defibrillation pad sets.
In pad packages, female pictograms appeared on three packages (7.0%), while 48.8% showed only adult male pictograms.
In defibrillation pad sets, female pictograms appeared in two sets (4.5%); most showed only adult male pictograms (56.8%).
Instructional imagery on automated external defibrillators, pad packages, and defibrillation pads overwhelmingly represents male, with minimal or absent female depictions.
This imbalance may reinforce gender bias, potentially leading to incorrect pad placement on women and reducing inclusivity in resuscitation.
Manufacturers and resuscitation councils could promote accurate and balanced visual representations to ensure equitable and realistic automated external defibrillators use across sexes and body types during cardiac arrest management.