The discovery that a misfiring heart could be restarted using an electrical charge is one of the great developments of modern medicine. This idea was born around 1888 when it was suggested by Mac William that ventricular fibrillation might be the cause of sudden death. Ventricular fibrillation is a condition in which the heart suddenly beats irregularly, preventing its blood-pumping ability that ultimately can lead to death. It can be caused by a coronary artery blockage, various anesthesia, and electric shock.

In 1899, Prevost and Batelli made the crucial discovery that large voltages applied across the heart could stop ventricular fibrillation in animals. Various other scientists studied further the effects of electricity on the heart during the early nineteenth century.

During the 1920s and 1930s, research in this field was supported by the power companies because electric shock induced ventricular fibrillation killed many power utility line workers. Hooker, William B. Kouwenhoven, and OrthelloLangworthy produced one of the first successes of this research. In 1933, they published the results of an experiment, which demonstrated that an internally applied alternating current could be used to produce a counter shock that reversed ventricle fibrillation in dogs.

From 1928 through the mid-1950s, Kouwenhoven developed three defibrillators: the open-chest defibrillator, the Hopkins AC Defibrillator, and then Mine Safety Portable. These were intended for use within two minutes of the start of ventricular fibrillation, and at least one required direct contact with the heart. In 1956, Kouwenhoven began developing a non-invasive method. During an experiment on a dog, he realized the weight of the defibrillator's paddles raised the animal's blood pressure. Based on this Kouwenhoven developed CPR.

In 1947, Dr. Claude Beck reported the first successful human defibrillation. During a surgery, Beck saw his patient experiencing a ventricular fibrillation. He applied a 60 Hz alternating current and was able to stabilize the heartbeat. The patient lived and the defibrillator was born. In 1954, Kouwenhoven and William Milnor demonstrated the first closed chest defibrillation on a dog. This work involved the application of electrodes to the chest wall to deliver the necessary electric counter shock. In 1956, Paul Zoll used the ideas learned from Kouwenhoven and performed the first successful external defibrillation of a human.

By the early 1960s, CPR was being used throughout the United States. Kouwenhoven'sground-breaking work was recognized by the medical community and the electrical engineering establishment. He was awarded the American Medical Association's (AMAj Ludwig Hekton Gold medal in 1961 and 1972, and the American Institute of Electrical Engineering's Edi-son Medal in 1962. Johns Hopkins bestowed Kouwenhoven with an honorary M.D. in 1969 (he is the only person to ever receive this honor). He won the Albert Lasker Clinical Research Award in 1973. Kouwenhoven died on November 10, 1975.

In the 1960s, scientists discovered that direct current defibrillators had fewer adverse side effects and were more effective than alternating current defibrillators. In 1967, Pantridge and Geddes demonstrated that using a mobile, battery-powered DC defibrillator could save lives. The late sixties saw the introduction of an implantable defibrillator by Dr. Michael Mirowski. Both internal and external defibrillators were redesigned in the 1970s to automatically detect ventricular fibrillation. As improvements in electronics and computers became available these technologies were adapted to defibrillators.

Today, defibrillation has become an integral part of the emergency response routine. In fact, the American and Canadian Heart Associations considers defibrillation a basic life support skill for paramedics and rescue workers.