There is a general misconception, within our society, that a defibrillator is used to treat heart attack victims. Of the people I asked, over 85% thought this was the case. 7% had no idea what a defibrillator was used for. This might shed some light on why the actual ailment a defibrillator was invented to counteract still kills over 95% of those it strikes.

A heart attack is caused by a blockage in one or both of the coronary arteries supplying blood to the heart. As a consequence, the heart muscle in the area of the blockage begins to die due to a lack of oxygen.

As the disease progresses it brings with it warning signs, such as chest, upper abdomen, arm and sometimes jaw pain. It can also produce nausea and profuse sweating but the victim usually remains conscious and generally alert. The sufferer will quite likely survive the attack assuming proper treatment and care is administered.

A defibrillator is not used in this situation.

Word of caution though: the ailment that a defibrillator does treat is very often preceded by one or more heart attacks. Because part of the heart muscle dies during the buildup to a heart attack, the dead cells and tissue that result can cause problems with electrical conductivity within the heart. This is a key factor in the ailment treated by a defibrillator and the reason a defibrillator is so effective.

The malady that a defibrillator is used for is cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac arrest.

Sudden cardiac arrest is caused by an electrical fault, or short-circuit, in the lower ventricles, or chambers, of the heart. It causes the heart to literally and suddenly stop beating. instead quivering chaotically and weakly. This is known as ventricular fibrillation.

Once ventricular fibrillation has occurred, there is a cessation of blood flow and oxygen to the vital body organs and the brain. Unless CPR is administered, or better yet a defibrillator is used on the victim, brain and body death will begin somewhere between four and six minutes after the event; death is almost certain by 10 minutes if the victim is not defibrillated.

Unlike the heart attack, with sudden cardiac arrest there are rarely symptoms, the person always loses consciousness, and around 95% of sufferers die unless defibrillation is administered within the first 10 minutes.

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.