In this guide-

+ Background on cardiac arrest and defibrillators
+ How defibrillators work
+ How to find the best defibrillator for you

This short guide was created to help you understand the basics of shopping for defibrillators online and to help you choose the right defibrillator for you. We do not sell any defibrillators ourselves, so you can be assured that all of the information in this guide is independent and unbiased.

Background on cardiac arrest and defibrillators
For normal function, the heart needs organized electrical impulses to contract the muscles and pump blood throughout the body. A cardiac arrest occurs when the electrical system of the heart becomes chaotic and disorganized and the heart becomes still. This condition is known as ventricular fibrillation, and the best treatment to 're-start the heart' is an electric shock to the heart to jolt it back into its regular rhythm (defibrillation). Outside of a hospital environment, this shock can be delivered by automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

The use of automated external defibrillators for use at work, at home, in churches, gyms, restaurants, and other public and private locations is becoming more and more popular. Defibrillators can mean the difference between life and death in the case of heart attacks and sudden cardiac arrest. A victim's chance of survival drops by about 10 percent for every minute that medical treatment is delayed, and permanent brain damage can occur in as few as five minutes. About 250,000 people die annually from cardiac arrest, often because emergency treatment is simply provided too late. By installing AEDs in public places and in homes where there is a risk of cardiac arrest, these easy-to-use defibrillators are projected to save thousands of lives each year.

How defibrillators work
AEDs are user-friendly, automated devices that typically use voice-prompted messages to guide the operator through the complete operating sequence. To begin, the operator peels the adhesive stickers from the backs of two electrodes, and places the electrodes on the bare skin of a victim's chest with one electrode over the heart and another slightly to the left. The defibrillator will then do an automated analysis of the victim's heart rhythm, and delivers a shock only if it diagnoses a cardiac arrest. Although the shocks are much smaller and more benign than those delivered by hospital defibrillators, it is still recommended that no one is in contact with the victim during the shock.

NOTE: The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends calling 911, performing CPR, and administering defibrillation in the event that a victim collapses.