A defibrillator is used to shock the heart back to a normal beating rhythm. In actuality the electrical shock the defibrillator delivers stops the heart completely, momentarily allowing it to recalibrate and regain an effective beat and rhythm. Around 75% of people who receive defibrillation survive, unfortunately the vast majority of those are in a hospital setting when the event occurs. Of those it affects in a home or office setting (over 85%) the vast majority die because a defibrillator was unavailable and the emergency medical crews were unable to reach them in time to use their on-board defibrillators successfully

Defibrillators though, can now be bought for the home or office environment. They are called AED's, or automated external defibrillators. They are portable, light weight, easy-to-use, and relatively inexpensive. Although training in their use is recommended, it is not essential in an emergency situation as modern defibrillators offer comprehensive audiovisual instructions and prompts to the user throughout the rescue procedure.If you or a loved one have known heart problems, ask your doctor about AED's and how they could help you survive sudden cardiac arrest