When a heart stops beating, every second counts. Immediate resuscitation measures (cardiac massage and ventilation) and defibrillation within 3 to 5 minutes after collapse can increase the survival rate to 75 percent. On the other hand, with every minute that nothing happens, the chances of survival worsen by 10 percent.
That's why defibrillators must be immediately usable everywhere - even by laypeople. This is made possible by publicly accessible devices that are designed to tell us step by step what to do (video above).
Automatic shock delivery
These public access defibrillators, also called PADs (Public Access Defibrillators), are the only way to stimulate a heart to beat rhythmically again in an emergency. The latest generation of defibrillators - so-called fully automatic defibrillators - analyse the patient's heart activity via electrodes and deliver a current pulse when they detect a state of shock.
The advantage of these fully automatic machines: The emergency responders no longer have to trigger the current pulse themselves via a shock button as in the past. This prevents possible delays and increases safety and the chance of survival. After all, the fewer buttons there are to press, the easier it is for the layperson to use.
Video: How does a defibrillator work?
