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When a person suddenly stops breathing and loses consciousness the cause is often a condition where the heart is either beating too fast to pump blood or most often all the cells of the heart muscle are firing randomly with no organization and the heart can not function, this is called Ventricular Fibrillation ( or V-Fib) and the only treatment for it is defibrillation. This is done by Drs and nurses in the hospital or paramedics in the field with a manual defibrillator that costs around 25,000 dollars. This machine resets the heart by an electrical charge that fires all the muscle cells in the body ( which is why you see that big jerk of a body that has been defibrillated) and for a moment the heart is stopped and allowed to reset.
With more and more frequency you will see Automated External Defibrilators (AEDs) are being placed any place people at risk congragate. These machines have motion detectors that will not allow defibrillation of a breathing patient and they read the ECG and they will not shock anybody who is not in a rhythm that must be shocked within 1-3 minutes. It records the ECG so the Dr will be able to see what was going on and how his ECG changed during the event.
If they can be shocked in that time 70% to 90% will be conscious and talking on arrival of the first responders. Many will not even have any damage to their heart. If they must wait for the first responders to bring an AED or manual defibrillator even in major cities their chances of survival frop to single digits ( 2%-15%)
These machines cost between 800 and 1600 dollars and ANYBODY can use them with minimal training, often less then an hour.
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