Public access defibrillators (PAD) are automated external defibrillators (AED) that can be used by laymen and don't need any expert medical worker when exigencies emerge. Sudden cardiac arrest causes blood clotting in the heart and death appears imminent wanting proper blood circulation in the body. Unable to get cardiopulmonary resuscitation, patient may die within a few minutes. But an electric shock to the heart generated by an automated external defibrillator by public access defibrillators may save life.

Defibrillation is a self-regulating clairvoyant of survival for patients with cardiac arrests not approachable to the hospital. It reduces the fatal time gap between the ambulance response time and emergency call using bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation through public access defibrillators. Use of portable public access defibrillators by non-emergency workers giving respite to cardiac patients away from hospitals has led to dramatic increase in their survival rates. As reported at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2003 the patient survival rate is 50% more for public access defibrillators administered patients.

Public access defibrillators include detectors, controllers and therapy delivery circuits. The detector diagnoses and informs ahead of a life threatening condition of a cardiac patient where as the controller instructs the defibrillator to automatically alert the therapy delivery circuit to provide immediate and proper therapy. Public access defibrillators are easy to use and can be appended to a patient by any attendant or bystander. Once appended the instrument adapts itself to monitor and administered the therapy automatically incase of life threatening condition of cardiac patients.

Public access defibrillators are known to save thousands of lives in the UK and US. Sudden cardiac arrest causes patients suffer from asystole and pulseless electrical activity due to lack of immediate defibrillating. It may affect a protracted interval of early ventricular fibrillation or the occurrence of permanent cardiac damage. Therefore, intervention by public access defibrillators to lessen defibrillation time increases the hope of patients' survival. Seeing the importance of public access defibrillators, an Australian airline has decided to mount them in their aircrafts.

Using public access defibrillators is as simple as utilizing a fire extinguisher. No specialized training or any sort of medical knowledge is required to administer them to any patient. These devices also require minimal maintenance and could be continued with the help of telephone or interactive instruction. Their cost effectiveness is another succor to both the heart patients and the national and provincial governmental health care system. The targeted placement of public access defibrillators at places like airports and shopping malls is sure to be great help for a large number of susceptible people.

The efficacy and cost effectiveness of public access defibrillators in enhancing cardiac survival rate led to the increase in its installations in many cities. These devices are also being established at home by many rich businessmen for individual use. The growing use of public access defibrillators is a succor to hundreds of under privileged and retired cardiac patients living in areas far from ultra-modern hospitals.