• Rudolph W Koster.
• Department of Cardiology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. r.w.koster@amc.uva.nl
• J. Cardiovasc. Electrophysiol. 2002 Jan 1;13(1 Suppl):S92-5.

IntroductionSudden cardiac death is a major health problem. Worldwide success of resuscitation from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is modest, with 5% to 10% survival to hospital discharge.Methods And ResultsIn the chain of survival, early defibrillation (goal <5 min after collapse) is a major determinant of successful outcome of resuscitation. This goal is rarely achieved, but the automatic external defibrillator (AED) is a promising tool for lay defibrillation. The AED is a safe and effective device with nearly 100% accurate detection of ventricular fibrillation and nearly 100% accurate detection of a nonshockable rhythm. A large uncontrolled experience suggests improved outcome in nontraditional responders such as police. Controlled studies of community application of the AED are under way.ConclusionThe AED is a promising tool in the fight against sudden cardiac death and should be studied and supported by all scientists involved, including electrophysiologists.

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