The increased use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) has led to improved survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA), according to a study conducted in the Netherlands. In total, 6,133 OHCAs were identified over the 7-year study period. An increase in survival rate following OHCA was observed in patients who presented with a shockable initial rhythm (from 29.1% to 41.4%; P for trend <0.0001). Rates of survival increased at each stage (to emergency department, to admission, and to discharge) in these patients. During the study period, the rates of AED use almost tripled (21.4% to 59.3%; P for trend <0.0001). Given the favourable outcomes associated with increased AED use on OHCA, continuous efforts to introduce or extend AED programs are recommended.
References
Blom, M. T. et al. Improved survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and use of automated external defibrillators. Circulation 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.010905
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AEDs improve out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival. Nat Rev Cardiol 12, 5 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2014.193
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2014.193