Background:
Early defibrillation with an automated external defibrillator (AED) is crucial for improving the survival rate in out-of-hospital resuscitation from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Chance of survival decreases by 7% to 10% for every minute that defibrillation is delayed. While simulation studies have been used to assess AED usability factors, our objective was to report the actual operating time for three Philips AED models used in SCA responses.
Methods:
A convenience dataset recorded by Philips AEDs (HS1, FRx, or FR3) was obtained from Europe and the United States from 2007 - 2018. The HS1 is intended for minimally trained or untrained individuals, the FRx is for Basic Life Support (BLS), and the FR3 is for both BLS and Advanced Life Support (ALS) responders. A retrospective analysis was conducted to report the operating time intervals for cases where a shock was delivered after initial rhythm analysis. The study analyzed 90 HS1, 46 FRx and 32 FR3 cases.
Results:
Compared with HS1, both FRx (p < 0.001) and FR3 (p = 0.001) responders spent less time in placing pads on the patient after powering on the AED (Figure 1) as expected. Similarly, time intervals from the start of shock advised prompt to first shock delivery for FRx (p = 0.02) and FR3 (p < 0.01) are shorter than for HS1. Time from AED power-on to first shock was within 90 seconds in 74.4% (67 of 90) HS1 cases, 97.8% (45 of 46) FRx cases, and 100% (32 of 32) FR3 cases. On average, the FR3 and FRx responders were able to deliver the first shock within 48 seconds.
Conclusions:
The analysis shows that responders were able to quickly apply the AEDs and respond to the shock advisory prompt for all three AED models despite different training levels. This real-world performance is better than most reported simulation studies, however, this analysis cannot convey variety of activities that account for the differences in timing (e.g. pads applied before power-on, or compressions began before applying pads, etc.).
Impact of Onsite or Dispatched Automated External Defibrillator Use on Survival After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
