The ultimate goal in treating sudden cardiac arrest is to resuscitate the patient to the pre-arrest level of neurological functioning. The first step towards this goal is restarting the heart. In many instances the only way to do this is deliver an electrical shock or a "defibrillation" to the heart. Defibrillation was once a skill reserved for emergency care providers trained in all aspects of advanced cardiac care. Today, thanks to the automated external defibrillator(AED), shocks can be delivered by people with less training. The term automated external defibrillators refers to external defibrillators that incorporate a rhythm analysis system. AEDs eliminate the need for training in rhythm recognition and make early defibrillation by minimally trained personnel practical and achievable.
