Now, modern technology has allowed average people to rescue a person having a cardiac arrest by the use of a Philips defibrillator, which can be bought over the counter without any prescription from the doctor.

A person suffers from a cardiac arrest when the electrical activity in the heart is disrupted, and the heartbeat may be very fast(ventricular tachycardia) or chaotic (ventricular fibrillation). Because of the irregular rhythm of the heart, also known as arrhythmia, the heart may stop beating and it can't pump blood. The brain and vital organs are starved of blood, oxygen and nutrients.

Since these organs don't receive any blood and nutrients, the person may die in a few minutes unless treated immediately. The brain and other vital organs will suffer permanent damage if the person manages to survive, and this depends on how long he has been under cardiac arrest.

Now, the Philips defibrillator is used in malls, offices, schools, airports, cruise ships and other public places. Police and medical professionals use them in emergency cases. Also, this is very useful for families at home, since this is the most common place where cardiac arrests take place.

Since the FDA approved the first over-the-counter Automated External Defibrillator, a lot of people have been saved. To date, The Philips Heartstart Home Defibrillator is the only automated external defibrillator that is approved for home use without any prescription. The Philips Defibrillator can be used on children who are at least 8 years old and weigh at least 55 pounds. It also comes with an instructional video that shows a person how to use and maintain the defibrillator.

During the emergency, the Philips defibrillator makes all the important decisions. It has preprogrammed voice instructions that will guide you step-by-step on how to save a person having the cardiac arrest. It will tell you how to check the breathing of the person as well as how to install the electrode pads on his/her chest. The Philips defibrillator will then analyze the person's heart rhythm and decides if an electric shock should be delivered to revive the person. If it is needed, it then instructs the user to push the button and stand back while the device delivers the electric shock. It also guides the rescuer on how to perform CPR and emergency maneuvers.

Though priced expensively at $1500, the Philips defibrillator is a very important piece of emergency equipment for people and families who have a great risk of having cardiac arrests. The benefit that the Philips defibrillator gives to the person at the brink of death is priceless. Aside from this, people should also learn CPR and other techniques to be used during an emergency. When put together, this can save a lot of lives.