title: Use of the automatic external defibrillator in homes of survivors of out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation.
abstract: This 57-month study evaluated the use of automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) in the homes of high risk cardiac patients (survivors of out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation [VF]). The goal was to determine the utility of these devices by trained lay persons in actual cardiac arrest episodes. Ninety-seven survivors of out-of-hospital VF were enrolled in the study; 59 patients received AEDs, and 38 patients served as a control group. During the study period, 7 deaths occurred in the hospital without preceding out-of-hospital cardiac arrest or from noncardiac causes. There were 14 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, 10 in the AED group and 4 in the control group. There was 1 long-term survivor in the control group. In the AED group, among the 10 cardiac arrests for which the device was available, it was used in 6. Only 2 patients were in VF; 1 was resuscitated with residual neurologic deficits and survived several months. This study observed a small potential for AEDs to save high risk patients.
authors.affiliation: Center for Evaluation of Emergency Medical Service, Seattle, Washington 98104.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Eisenberg
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: R O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Cummins
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Andresen
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Litwin
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Hallstrom
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hearne
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004554:Electric Countershock; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D006701:Home Nursing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012151:Resuscitation; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000628:therapy