What is "AED"?

Never heard of this term, until I came across a public article about ways to help people with heart problems.

According to the article, there are over 200,000 Americans who die of sudden cardiac arrest every year and up to 50,000 of these deaths could have been prevented if an automated external defibrillator (AED) had been available and someone had initiated the Cardiac Chain of Survival, immediately at the time of the emergency.

An AED is only about the size of a laptop computer and is a computerized device that analyzes the heart rhythm and prompts a rescuer to deliver an electrical shock to the patient if needed. What's interesting about AED's is that when they are used in conjunction with CPR, they are known to increase survival rates between 50 and 80 percent.

What very helpful information. So I thought I'd share! :)