Kyle Nowack
BLS Instructor Trainer & AED Program Specialist
Active AHA BLS Instructor and Red Cross BLS Instructor Trainer. Owner of Total AEDs and co-founder of AED Log. 15+ years in lifesaving and AED training. Read Kyle's full bio
Products ship in original manufacturer packaging with full OEM warranty.
M5072A fits the Philips HeartStart OnSite and HeartStart Home AEDs, for patients under 8 years old or under 55 lbs. Installing this cartridge reduces the AED's delivered energy from 150 joules to 50 joules, appropriate for a smaller patient but not sufficient for an adult.
For adult patients, order the Philips HeartStart OnSite Adult SMART Pads (M5071A) instead. Call Total AEDs at (855) 286-6384 if you are unsure which cartridge you need.
Genuine OEM pediatric electrode cartridge for the Philips HeartStart OnSite and HeartStart Home AEDs. Installing this cartridge automatically reduces the AED's delivered energy from an adult dose of 150 joules to 50 joules, and switches the AED's voice instructions to pediatric-appropriate guidance. The cartridge is marked with a teddy bear icon and a weight indication for quick identification during an emergency. No prescription is required to purchase this cartridge; both compatible AEDs are sold over the counter. Every cartridge ships from Total AEDs with a guaranteed minimum 12 months of remaining shelf life.
The Philips OnSite Infant/Child Cartridge Electrode Pads (part number M5072A) are the manufacturer-authorized pediatric electrode for both the Philips HeartStart OnSite and Philips HeartStart Home AEDs, confirmed directly on Philips' own official product documentation for the Home unit specifically.
Installing this cartridge doesn't just change what the pads look like; it changes what the AED does. Philips' own specifications confirm the adult dose of 150 joules (nominal) drops to 50 joules (nominal) the moment the Infant/Child cartridge is connected, matched by a corresponding reduction in peak current delivered. This is an automatic, device-level adjustment; the responder does not need to select a mode or setting separately.
Beyond the energy adjustment, connecting this cartridge switches the AED's spoken guidance to instructions appropriate for a pediatric rescue. Combined with placement diagrams printed on the pads themselves, this means an untrained responder gets guidance calibrated for the patient in front of them, not a generic adult script.
The cartridge is marked with a printed weight indication and a teddy bear icon, letting a responder confirm they've grabbed the correct pediatric cartridge at a glance, rather than reading fine print during an emergency.
Every M5072A cartridge ships with at least 12 months of remaining shelf life from date of receipt. These pads carry a 2-year manufacturer shelf life from date of manufacture, and Total AEDs rotates stock to give program managers the longest possible replacement cycle within that window. Every cartridge Total AEDs ships is sourced through authorized Philips distribution with a correctly labeled, current pouch.
This cartridge is pediatric-only, for patients under 8 years old or under 55 lbs. For adult patients, order the Philips HeartStart OnSite Adult SMART Pads (M5071A) instead. Browse the full HeartStart OnSite pads selection and all Philips AEDs.
Each Philips M5072A cartridge from Total AEDs ships ready for direct installation:
This package does not include a HeartStart OnSite or Home AED, a battery (a separate part, M5070A), adult pads, a carrying case, or a wall cabinet. It will not fit a HeartStart FRx.
To assemble a complete HeartStart replenishment order, adult pads plus this pediatric cartridge plus battery on one purchase order, call Total AEDs at (855) 286-6384.
The pads look similar at a glance, but the energy they deliver is very different. Getting this choice right matters more than almost any other pad decision in this catalog.
Confirmed for both M5066A and M5067A OnSite designations.
Confirmed directly on Philips' own HeartStart Home product page, despite this cartridge's "OnSite" naming.
The FRx uses a completely different pad and mechanism for pediatric coverage.
Delivers only 50 joules, less than a third of the adult dose, and is not effective for reliable adult defibrillation.
Order M5072A (this product) when: your AED is a HeartStart OnSite or Home, and your patient could be under 8 years or under 55 lbs.
Order M5071A instead when: your patient is 8 years or older or 55 lbs or over. If in doubt about a child's exact age or weight, Philips' own guidance is to use the adult pads rather than delay treatment.
Not sure which Philips AED you own? Check the model name printed on the front of the unit, or call Total AEDs at (855) 286-6384 with your model or serial number for confirmation before ordering.
The M5072A cartridge installs exactly the same way as the adult M5071A cartridge, since both share the same snap-in design.
2 years from date of manufacture if the cartridge is never opened or used. The expiration date is printed on the front handle of the cartridge, visible without opening the AED case. Total AEDs guarantees at least 12 months of remaining shelf life on every cartridge at time of shipment. A cartridge must also be replaced immediately after any rescue use, even if no shock was delivered, regardless of remaining calendar shelf life.
Yes. Despite the cartridge's "OnSite" product naming, Philips' own official HeartStart Home product documentation confirms this exact cartridge, M5072A, as the correct Infant/Child pediatric electrode for the Home AED, alongside the M5071A adult cartridge. The two AEDs share the same pad ecosystem.
Replace the cartridge at the printed 2-year expiration date, or immediately after any rescue use, whichever comes first, even if a shock was not ultimately delivered during that rescue. Because pediatric pads are deployed far less often than adult pads, expiration is by far the more common replacement trigger; check the date on the front handle every month as part of your regular AED inspection.
No. Philips' HeartStart Home was the first AED sold in the U.S. without a prescription, and the HeartStart OnSite is also sold over the counter. As a maintenance consumable for either AED, this replacement cartridge does not require a prescription to purchase.
Only as a last resort. Philips' own guidance is not to delay treatment trying to determine a child's exact age or weight; if the child appears older or larger, or if pediatric pads are not on hand, use the adult pads rather than waiting. That guidance exists for a genuine emergency, not as a substitute for stocking correct pediatric coverage. Any HeartStart OnSite or Home deployed where children could be present should have M5072A staged alongside the adult cartridge from the start.
Total AEDs accepts returns on unopened, sealed cartridges within 30 days of purchase, including a mistaken order of the wrong version. See our full return policy for details, or call (855) 286-6384 and we can help arrange an exchange for the correct part directly.
Yes, in the sense that matters practically: the cartridge ships fully sealed, and once the foil seal is broken, for any reason, including a curious inspection, the cartridge cannot be resealed and must be replaced. That design functions as a genuine tamper and use indicator even though Philips does not market it under a specific formal "tamper-evident" certification. Confirm the seal is intact on arrival and again at every monthly inspection, and never open the cartridge except during an actual rescue.
Pediatric cartridges are bought with the hope they are never used, and that is the correct outcome, not a wasted purchase. The energy difference between this cartridge and the adult version, roughly a third of the dose, is exactly why correct pad selection matters more here than almost anywhere else in an AED program.
Any HeartStart OnSite or Home deployed where children could be present, schools, daycare centers, churches, sports facilities, needs M5072A staged alongside the adult cartridge. Because both cartridges look broadly similar, train responders to check for the teddy bear icon before connecting either one.
If you bought a HeartStart Home for personal use and have children, grandchildren, or young visitors, pediatric coverage is worth stocking even for an otherwise adult-focused household. No prescription is required to add this cartridge to your setup.
OSHA does not mandate AED programs but recommends them within a comprehensive emergency action plan (29 CFR 1910.38). If your workplace includes on-site childcare, a family visitor policy, or public-facing space where children are present, pediatric coverage belongs in that plan alongside the AED itself.
Organizations running a mix of OnSite, Home, and FRx units need to track pediatric pad part numbers by exact model, since M5072A does not fit the FRx. Call Total AEDs at (855) 286-6384 to consolidate a multi-platform Philips replenishment order onto a single schedule.
A pediatric cartridge is a recurring cost on a 2-year cycle that will most likely expire unused, and that is the correct outcome, not a wasted purchase. Our AED total cost of ownership breakdown models the full consumable picture across a device's service life, and our guide to when to replace an aging AED covers the separate question of when the AED itself has reached end of life.
