Cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of death in the United States.
The majority of cardiac arrests occur outside a hospital. They result from ventricular fibrillation, which means the heart is quivering in an uncoordinated manner and cannot effectively pump blood. When a professional provides an electric countershock by using a device such as an AED, the heart often returns to the correct rhythm. Often, police officers are the first to arrive to assist someone who is experiencing cardiac arrest. The officers who have received the new devices from UPMC Horizon are now able, after training, to administer AED treatment.