Small Benefit Found for Public Defibrillators

Only 3% occurred in possibly suitable sites, such as buses and multistory car parks, while 18% occurred in suitable sites, such as shops, offices, and sports centers. A similar study found that of 7,185 cardiac arrests during a five-year period, only 16% occurred in public locations.
As a result, the researchers predict that public-access defibrillators placed only in suitable sites would increase the survival rate from 5.0-6.3%.

The increase in survival is less that what could be achieved by expanding early defibrillation to nonambulance first responders, say the authors, such as emergency services or community programs, or bystander resuscitation. However, the benefit of defibrillators in the hands of untrained volunteers remains to be proved.




Related Links:
British Medical Journal