Finished a 2-day first aid+CPR course today, the stat was that ~0.2% (or was it 0.02%) or people getting CPR have their heart start without a defib (AED or at t

Finished a 2-day first aid+CPR course today, the stat was that ~0.2% (or was it 0.02%) or people getting CPR have their heart start without a defib (AED or at the hospital) (also am a biomed engg researcher working on arteries but not the heart directly). CPR is bascially to keep the person somewhat oxygenated until they can get a defib (such as from an AED). A study found a 39% boost in likelyhood in surviving to being discharged from the hospital if AED+CPR was used compared to CPR alone [3] An AED disrupts the fibrillation of the heart - often an outcome of a heart attack. Fibrillation is basically different parts of the heart firing randomly, with the effect that not much blood gets pumped. A defib (from AED or otherwise) is like a hard reboot of the heart, to try to reset the heart so it all contracts together again. Consciousness is more to due with a neuro-state, which is affected by blood flow so its a symptom of the heart problem rather than the problem itself. Also, as someone else mentioned, heart stopping /= death anymore, it is determined by brain activity [2] [1] http://intensivecare.hsnet.nsw.gov.au/cardiac-arrest http://intensivecare.hsnet.nsw.gov.au/cardiac-arrest [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death#Diagnosis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death#Diagnosis [3] http://depts.washington.edu/chru/May-20-A-Wicks-2_JC.pdf http://depts.washington.edu/chru/May-20-A-Wicks-2_JC.pdf