An AED brings potentially lifesaving defibrillation onsite where it can be provided at the scene, along with CPR, before the emergency medical services team arrives. An AED is very simple for anyone with minimal training to use, and can enable treatment to be given within minutes. (The American Heart Association recommends CPR and defibrillation within five minutes of arrest or sooner.)
Early defibrillation saves lives. Although not everyone can survive sudden cardiac arrest, survival rates as high as 74 percent are possible when defibrillation is provided within three minutes of collapse, up from the mere 5 percent that usually survive.