April 12 marked the deadline for all commercial aircraft in the United States to be equipped with portable defibrillators, also known as automated external defibrillators (AEDs). These devices administer a controlled shock to a person suffering from sudden cardiac arrest. This condition results from an abnormal heart rhythm known as ventricular fibrillation. Defibrillation involves delivery of an electrical current to the heart to restore its regular beat. If the heartbeat is not restored, the person will die.

In April 2001 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered that AEDs be deployed on all commercial aircraft, establishing a three-year deadline to complete the task. American Airlines [AMR] led the industry, being the first to deploy AEDs on its aircraft in 1996, five years before the FAA mandate. United Airlines [UALAQ] was another "early adopter." (See ASW, March 13, 2000)

According to sources, American Airlines and United together have saved the lives of 65 passengers with the AEDs installed on their aircraft.

According to MedAire, a Tempe, Ariz.-based company that provides in-flight medical consultation for client airlines, of the nearly 10,000 calls the company received in 2003, 102 were for passengers experiencing cardiac problems requiring AED deployment. Of these 102 cases, 56 persons were suffering cardiopulmonary arrest and shocks were administered. In the 46 remaining cases, the diagnostic software installed in the AED did not recommend a shock; rather, the AEDs were used to monitor the individual's condition until landing.