After a cardiac arrest, resuscitation measures must be started immediately, otherwise the chances of survival drop rapidly. The first early defibrillation devices come onto the market in 1976. On 22 April 1977, we buy the first device and hand it over to the non-medical rescue service in Ludwigsburg. The initiative fails due to resistance from the medical profession and authorities, who insist that life-saving early defibrillation may only be carried out by doctors. It was not until May 2001 that the German Medical Association recommended defibrillation by laypersons using automated external defibrillators.

the-first-initiative-against-sudden-cardiac-death