Defibrillator use triples survival rate

In the past 6 years the use of automated external defibrillators (AED) has spiked, and with it the number of lives saved.

58 percent of the patients was already hooked up to a device by the time an ambulance arrived. In 2006 only 19 people survived a heart condition, compared to 61 patients in 2012, who were hooked up to a AED, which restored the blood flow after just one shock. With 60,000 to 80,000 defibrillators sold, the devices are much more common. The use of a AED may also pose some risks, however. Emergency responders and doctors don't always know if a AED has been used or what the patients stats were, making it difficult to determine the right course of treatment.