With the greater availability of these life saving devices, defibrillator sales are increasing each year. Research has shown that defibrillators are a first line treatment for cases of sudden cardiac arrest and that defibrillation during the first several minutes increases the survival rate. Such statistics have convinced many individuals, schools, businesses, and other areas to purchase their own defibrillator.

In the United States alone, anywhere from 200,000 to 350,000 people die every year from heart attacks. and more frightening statistic is that 95 percent of the men and women that have a heart attack die from it. If a defibrillator was readily available in these cases, many of the deaths could be avoided.

It should come as no surprise that more people are beginning to consider purchasing defibrillators. Up until now, medical professionals were the only people able to get them. Today, you no longer need a prescription to get a defibrillator.

A defibrillator is not an inexpensive device, so they are not necessarily for everyone. but if your medical history shows you have a tendency toward heart attacks, they're still recommended. today's defibrillators are much simpler to use than the old models. These simplified devices are starting to pop up in a lot of public areas.

Newer defibrillators are usually automated, meaning that they monitor the patient's heart rate and provide appropriate treatment only when it has been determined that it's needed. In addition, audio instructions, as well as visual ones in some models, make the defibrillator easy to use, even in an emergency. Studies show that children as young as eight years of age can operate these devices.

Defibrillator sales have also increased because of the availability of implanted devices. Internal defibrillators work similarly to external units but are implanted in the chest and constantly monitor the heart for any problems. Recent technology has made internal defibrillators less invasive to install and many also function as pacemakers.

You can expect defibrillator sales to continue to rise as long as our society faces cardiac arrest as a health problem. Increased availability and lower prices will also fuel this rise.