Although it is an important link in the Chain of Survival, CPR alone cannot fully resuscitate a person in SCA. Early defibrillation is the third and perhaps most significant link. Most SCA victims are in ventricular fibrillation (VF), an electrical malfunction of the heart that causes the heart to twitch irregularly. Defibrillation, the delivery of an electrical shock to the heart muscle, can restore normal heart function if it occurs within minutes of SCA onset.

When CPR and defibrillation are provided within eight minutes of an episode, a person's chance of survival increases to 20%. ¹ When these steps are provided within four minutes and a paramedic arrives within eight minutes, the likelihood of survival increases to over 40%. ¹

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), in cities where defibrillation is provided within 5-7 minutes, the survival rate from SCA is as high as 49%. ¹ The AHA also cites that after automated external defibrillators (AEDs) were placed at Chicago's O'Hare and Midway Airports, 9 out of 14 SCA victims (64%) were revived with an AED and had no permanent neurological damage.

However, the availability of AEDs in locations such as airports, airplanes, offices, community centers, and other public places is an evolving trend. The process began almost forty years ago, when the time-sensitivity of SCA and the importance of pre-hospital care first captured the attention of Dr. J.Frank Pantridge.

To learn more about increasing the availability of AEDs in your community, see the Defibrillation Program section.

For your early defibrillation checklist, click here.