Defibrillation, the delivery of an electrical current to the heart, is recognized as the definitive treatment for one of the most common causes of SCA: ventricular fibrillation (VF), the abnormal heart rhythm that causes the heart to suddenly stop pumping blood.

For every minute that goes by without defibrillation, a cardiac arrest victim's chances of survival decrease by about 10 percent. After the first few minutes without defibrillation, few attempts at resuscitation are successful.

The SCA survival rate in the United States is currently less than five percent.

The American Heart Association estimates that 40,000 more lives could be saved annually in the U.S. alone if automated external defibrillators (AEDs) were more widely available and could reach victims more quickly.

Virtually anyone can use an AED because the device automatically analyzes a victim's heart rhythm and directs the rescuer to deliver an electric shock if necessary. Technological advances make these devices lightweight, portable and easy-to-use.