AEDs (automated external defibrillators) set to become more widespread:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) held in public places and used to restore cardiac activity after sudden cardiac arrest have the potential to save as many as 50,000 lives every year and are expected to become as "widespread as fire extinguishers," a US team reports in the Annals of Internal Medicine (December 4). The devices, which are designed to be operated by people with only modest training, improve survival dramatically, researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center say in a review article regarding the clinical promise of AEDs.