title: Effects and limitations of an AED with audiovisual feedback for cardiopulmonary resuscitation: a randomized manikin study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Correctly performed basic life support (BLS) and early defibrillation are the most effective measures to treat sudden cardiac arrest. Audiovisual feedback improves BLS. Automated external defibrillators (AED) with feedback technology may play an important role in improving CPR quality. The aim of this simulation study was to investigate if an AED with audiovisual feedback improves CPR parameters during standard BLS performed by trained laypersons.
  
  
  METHODS
  With ethics committee approval and informed consent, 68 teams (2 flight attendants each) performed 12 min of standard CPR with the AED's audiovisual feedback mechanism enabled or disabled. We recorded CPR quality parameters during resuscitation on a manikin in this open, prospective, randomized controlled trial. Between the feedback and control-group we measured differences in compression depth and rate as main outcome parameters and effective compressions, correct hand position, and incomplete decompression as secondary outcome parameters. An effective compression was defined as a compression with correct depth, hand position, and decompression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The feedback-group delivered compression rates closest to the recommended guidelines (101 ± 9 vs. 109 ± 15/min, p=0.009), more effective compressions (20 ± 18 vs. 5 ± 6%, p<0.001), more compressions with correct hand position (96 ± 13 vs. 88 ± 16%, p<0.001), and less leaning (21 ± 31 vs. 77 ± 33%, p<0.001). However, only the control-group adhered to the recommended compression depth (44 ± 7 mm vs. 39 ± 6, p=0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of an AED's audiovisual feedback system improved some CPR-quality parameters, thus confirming findings of earlier studies with the notable exception of decreased compression depth, which is a key parameter that might be linked to reduced cardiac output.
authors: Division of Cardio-Thoracic-Vascular Surgical Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine¸ Department of Anaesthesia, General Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Medical University, Waehringer Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors: Henrik
authors: H
authors: Fischer
authors: Julia
authors: J
authors: Gruber
authors: Stephanie
authors: S
authors: Neuhold
authors: Sophie
authors: S
authors: Frantal
authors: Eva
authors: E
authors: Hochbrugger
authors: Harald
authors: H
authors: Herkner
authors: Herbert
authors: H
authors: Schöchl
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Steinlechner
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Greif
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000193:education* / Q000379:methods; D047548:Defibrillators; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000379:methods*; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008348:Manikins; D058687:Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest / Q000628:therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies