[The shock for life: early defibrillation in first aid and by the professional paramedic]

The Automated External Defibrillation is the key link of the chain of survival for patients in cardiac arrest. A lot of case series and trials have shown the effectiveness of early defibrillation by first rescuers and trained lay persons. The earlier the defibrillation is performed, the better is the rate of survival to hospital discharge. To increase the survival rate healthcare providers, first rescuer citizens at worksites and trained lay rescuers should be authorized, equipped and encouraged to perform early defibrillation combined with effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The new generation of Automated External Defibrillators (AED) are sophisticated, computerized devices that are reliable and simple to operate, enabling also lay rescuers to administer this lifesaving intervention to victims of cardiac arrest. For the concept of recurrent adequate and qualified training in the use of the AED integrated in effective DPR is recommended.