Automated External Defibrillators Are Widely Distributed in Danish Hospitals but Infrequently Used - A Nationwide Study

TY - ABST

T1 - Automated External Defibrillators Are Widely Distributed in Danish Hospitals but Infrequently Used - A Nationwide Study

AU - Stærk, Mathilde

AU - Glerup Lauridsen, Kasper

AU - Krogh, Kristian

AU - Kirkegaard, Hans

AU - Løfgren, Bo

PY - 2017/11/14

Y1 - 2017/11/14

N2 - Introduction: Use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) increase survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest but have not been shown to increase survival following in-hospital cardiac arrest. This may be due to factors such as distribution and suboptimal use of AEDs.Aim: To investigate and compare the distribution and use of AEDs and manual defibrillators in Danish hospitals.Methods: All public, somatic hospitals in Denmark with a cardiac arrest team were included. Hospitals treating outpatients only were excluded. A questionnaire was sent to the hospitals’ medico-technical departments inquiring into 1) AED and manual defibrillator accessibility (number and location), 2) how often AEDs and manual defibrillators are used, and 3) model of AEDs and manual defibrillators to determine compatibility.Results: In total, 46 hospitals replied (response rate: 100%) between February 7th and April 20th 2017. All hospitals had either AEDs (93%) and/or manual defibrillators (93%). The median number of AEDs was 10 (Q1;Q3: 5;24), and for manual defibrillators 11 (Q1;Q3: 7;20) (p=0.74). The locations of AEDs and manual defibrillators are shown in Table 1. During the past year, AEDs were used less (median: 2 times per hospital (Q1;Q3: 0;10)) compared with manual defibrillators (median: 15 times per hospital (Q1;Q3: 2;50)) (p=0.001) equal to each AED being used 0.7 times and each manual defibrillator being used 2.7 times. Only 33% of hospitals had compatible AEDs and manual defibrillators i.e. AED electrodes could be directly connected to a manual defibrillator, 55% of hospitals required an adaptor, 10% of hospitals did not have compatible AEDs and manual defibrillators, and at 2% of hospitals it was unknown.Conclusion: AEDs and manual defibrillators are widely distributed at Danish hospitals. AEDs are infrequently used compared with manual defibrillators. Only one third of hospitals have compatible AEDs and manual defibrillators.Author Disclosures: M. Stærk: None. K.G. Lauridsen: None. K. Krogh: None. H. Kirkegaard: None. B. Løfgren: None.

AB - Introduction: Use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) increase survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest but have not been shown to increase survival following in-hospital cardiac arrest. This may be due to factors such as distribution and suboptimal use of AEDs.Aim: To investigate and compare the distribution and use of AEDs and manual defibrillators in Danish hospitals.Methods: All public, somatic hospitals in Denmark with a cardiac arrest team were included. Hospitals treating outpatients only were excluded. A questionnaire was sent to the hospitals’ medico-technical departments inquiring into 1) AED and manual defibrillator accessibility (number and location), 2) how often AEDs and manual defibrillators are used, and 3) model of AEDs and manual defibrillators to determine compatibility.Results: In total, 46 hospitals replied (response rate: 100%) between February 7th and April 20th 2017. All hospitals had either AEDs (93%) and/or manual defibrillators (93%). The median number of AEDs was 10 (Q1;Q3: 5;24), and for manual defibrillators 11 (Q1;Q3: 7;20) (p=0.74). The locations of AEDs and manual defibrillators are shown in Table 1. During the past year, AEDs were used less (median: 2 times per hospital (Q1;Q3: 0;10)) compared with manual defibrillators (median: 15 times per hospital (Q1;Q3: 2;50)) (p=0.001) equal to each AED being used 0.7 times and each manual defibrillator being used 2.7 times. Only 33% of hospitals had compatible AEDs and manual defibrillators i.e. AED electrodes could be directly connected to a manual defibrillator, 55% of hospitals required an adaptor, 10% of hospitals did not have compatible AEDs and manual defibrillators, and at 2% of hospitals it was unknown.Conclusion: AEDs and manual defibrillators are widely distributed at Danish hospitals. AEDs are infrequently used compared with manual defibrillators. Only one third of hospitals have compatible AEDs and manual defibrillators.Author Disclosures: M. Stærk: None. K.G. Lauridsen: None. K. Krogh: None. H. Kirkegaard: None. B. Løfgren: None.

M3 - Konferenceabstrakt i tidsskrift

SN - 0009-7322

VL - 136

SP - A16066

JO - Circulation

JF - Circulation

IS - Suppl 1

ER -