Journal Article

Home Use of Automated External Defibrillators for Sudden Cardiac Arrest

White, Roger D, Bischoff, Eric, Rosenberg, Yves, McNulty, Steven, Lee, Kerry L, Ray, Linda Davidson, Longstreth, W.T, Clapp-Channing, Nancy E, Packer, Douglas L, Schron, Eleanor B, Mark, Daniel B, Bardy, Gust H, Johnson, George, Smith, Warren, Dorian, Paul, Poole, Jeanne E, Tonkin, Andrew M, Anderson, Jill, Toff, William D, Yallop, Julie J

2008

Overview

A multicenter trial evaluated patients with previous anterior-wall myocardial infarction who were not candidates for an implantable cardioverter–defibrillator. Patients were randomly assigned either to have an automated external defibrillator (AED) at home for management of cardiac arrest or to receive standard treatment. At a median follow-up of 3 years, there was no significant difference between the two groups in mortality from any cause. Patients with previous anterior-wall myocardial infarction were randomly assigned either to have an automated external defibrillator (AED) at home for management of cardiac arrest or to receive standard treatment. At a median follow-up of 3 years, there was no significant difference between the two groups in mortality from any cause. Sudden cardiac arrest remains an unsolved public health problem, with approximately 166,200 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occurring annually in the United States. 1 The use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) by trained lay responders in community-based public-access defibrillation programs has been shown to increase survival after sudden cardiac arrest. However, what effect the use of the device has on overall mortality for the community at risk is unknown. 2 – 5 Particularly impressive results have been reported when sudden cardiac arrest is witnessed and an AED is immediately available, as on airplanes and in casinos and airports. 6 – 8 However, the effect of such programs . . .

• Publisher: Massachusetts Medical Society
• Subject: Aged / Biological and medical sciences / Cardiac arrest / Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / CPR / Death, Sudden, Cardiac - epidemiology / Death, Sudden, Cardiac - etiology / Defibrillators / Emergency Medical Services / Female / General aspects / Heart Arrest - etiology / Heart Arrest - mortality / Heart Arrest - therapy / Heart attacks / Home Nursing / Humans / Kaplan-Meier Estimate / Male / Medical sciences / Middle Aged / Mortality / Myocardial Infarction - complications / Occupational safety