Use of the Automatic External Defibrillator in the Management of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Abstract

The automatic external defibrillator is a simple device that can be used by nonprofessional rescuers to treat cardiac arrest. In 1287 consecutive patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, we assessed the results of initial treatment with this device by firefighters who arrived first at the scene, as compared with the results of standard defibrillation administered by paramedics who arrived slightly after the firefighters. Of 276 patients who were initially treated by firefighters using the automatic defibrillator, 84 (30 percent) survived to hospital discharge (expected rate according to a logistic model, 17 percent; P<0.001), as compared with 44 (19 percent) of 228 patients when firefighters delivered only basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the first defibrillation was performed after the arrival of the paramedic team. Few patients with conditions other than ventricular fibrillation survived.