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Editorial| Volume 151, P213-214, June 2020

Retrieving AEDs to save a life: more complicated than it seems

      During out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) every minute counts; survival drops by 7-10% for every minute without bystander intervention.
      • Larsen M.P.
      • Eisenberg M.S.
      • Cummins R.O.
      • Hallstrom A.P.
      Predicting survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a graphic model.
      Early CPR and defibrillation, preferably before Emergency Medical Systems (EMS) arrival, can vastly improve the chances of survival.
      • Hasselqvist-Ax I.
      • Herlitz J.
      • Svensson L.
      Early CPR in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
      If a person with OHCA is defibrillated within 3 minutes of collapse, survival can be as high as 70%.
      • Valenzuela T.D.
      • Roe D.J.
      • Nichol G.
      • Clark L.L.
      • Spaite D.W.
      • Hardman R.G.
      Outcomes of rapid defibrillation by security officers after cardiac arrest in casinos.
      These observations have led to the establishment of public access defibrillation (PAD) programs in both rural and urban areas across the globe. Despite their widespread placement, public access AEDs are only used prior to EMS arrival in 2%–5% of cardiac arrests.
      • Smith C.M.
      • Lim Choi Keung S.N.
      • Khan M.O.
      • et al.
      Barriers and facilitators to public access defibrillation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a systematic review.
      The reasons for this are not entirely clear, but the 3 primary factors likely are: low availability, poor accessibility and a lack of bystander knowledge and confidence.
      • Smith C.M.
      • Lim Choi Keung S.N.
      • Khan M.O.
      • et al.
      Barriers and facilitators to public access defibrillation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a systematic review.
      • Brooks B.
      • Chan S.
      • Lander P.
      • Adamson R.
      • Hodgetts G.A.
      • Deakin C.D.
      Public knowledge and confidence in the use of public access defibrillation.
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