[Semiautomatic external defibrillation: use inside a hospital]

The electric rhythm which provokes the majority of the cases of sudden death is ventricular fibrillation, and the only effective measure to reestablish spontaneous circulation consists in administering a precocious electrical discharge, or defibrillation. Time is a fundamental factor since the possibilities tor survival are practically nil it defibrillation is applied 10 to 12 minutes after the patient suffers his/her attack. Therefore, in recent years, the use of semiautomatic external defibrillators has been promoted. These small, low-cost, easy to handle apparatuses are designed so that the first person who detects a cardio-respiratory arrest can defibrillate, whether or not that person is a trained medical technician. Bearing in mind that in our hospitals nurses are in close contact with patients 24 hours a day nurses become the most appropriate professional to utilize these devices once they have received minimum training and instruction in the use of semiautomatic external defibrillators which will qualify and authorize nurses to do so.