1. Heart Disease (Coronary Artery Disease) Slideshow Pictures
2. Medical Illustrations of the Heart Image Collection
3. Take the Heart Disease Quiz!

Medical Author:

Joseph Sciammarella, MD, FACP, FACEP

Joseph Sciammarella, MD, FACP, FACEP

Dr. Sciammarella graduated from American University of the Caribbean in June, 1985. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine, and the American Board of Emergency Medicine and has practiced Emergency Medicine for 19 years.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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When AEDs were first introduced, they were used predominantly by EMS agencies, and their use was regulated strictly. As more and more states came to realize that AEDs are simple to use, the restrictions became less stringent. Today, many states have true public access defibrillation programs.

With defibrillators becoming more prevalent in communities, and with the greater public awareness of their value, the number of deaths each year from sudden cardiac arrest can be dramatically reduced.

It is hoped that, eventually, AEDs will become as easily available as fire extinguishers: on display everywhere and able to be used by anyone in an emergency.

As it stands today, we are closer than ever to realizing that dream.

• Every day, AEDs are being placed in more and more locations such as airports, on airplanes, and in public buildings and shopping malls. One of the areas where AEDs have had the greatest effect have been in gambling casinos. This is because of the high security and surveillance; when a victim collapses it is immediately noticed and defibrillation is performed by trained staff in less than one minute.
  
  
• The chances are increasing daily that, some day, you will get to use an AED to save the life of a victim of sudden cardiac arrest.
  
  
• Don't worry, all you have to do is press the "ON" button. The AED will tell you what to do next.