Automated External Defibrillation (AED) is well established as the only effective therapy for cardiac arrest. The scientific evidence to support early defibrillation is overwhelming, the single most determinant of survival being the delay from collapse to delivery of the first shock. The chances of successful defibrillation decline at a rate of 7-10% with each minute. Basic life support may help to sustain a shockable rhythm but is not a definitive treatment.
