Patent ID: 7706864

Claim:
A method for treating an arrhythmia in a patient, comprising the steps of: a. attaching a plurality of electrodes to external portions of a patient's body proximate the patient's thoracic region so that the electrodes may deliver electrical pulses which will be transmitted through portions of the patient's upper body; b. detecting the presence of arrhythmia in the patient; c. delivering non-defibrillatory electrical current pulses through the patient's body via the electrodes after detecting an arrhythmia, the non-defibrillatory electrical current pulses having an amplitude of less than the amplitude of a normal defibrillation shock, and greater than that which would only pace the heart, to force contraction of patient muscle and facilitate a minimum level of cardiac output; and d. delivering at least one defibrillation pulse having an amplitude sufficient to defibrillate the patient's heart.