Sudden cardiac death (SCD) accounts for about 50% of all cardiovascular mortality
in developed countries with a survival rate of 1–2% despite modern health service
provision. Early defibrillation with very simple automatic or semiautomatic machines
is nowadays feasible and affordable by almost everyone, and could enhance survival
to more than 10–20%. Today, however, there is a lack of interest from the medical and
scientific community in this issue. While the mass media, politicians, and the scientific
community are appalled by cancer and rare diseases, SCD is not considered as shocking
despite being the “silent killer” of the Western world.