Airline Tests Device for Heart Attack Victims:...

Airline Tests Device for Heart Attack Victims: Air New Zealand is testing a high-tech device known as an automated defibrillator in its long-range aircraft as a means of saving the lives of passengers who suffer airborne heart attacks. Murray Vaile, the airline’s marketing manager in Singapore, said the device uses a mild electric shock to bring a person’s heart back to normal rhythm. Automated defibrillators like the Norwegian-made Heartstart 3000 can be operated with a minimal amount of training. Some fire departments have considered them for use by personnel who do not have advanced medical training.