title: Outcomes from sudden cardiac arrest in US high schools: a 2-year prospective study from the National Registry for AED Use in Sports.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death in athletes during exercise. The effectiveness of school-based automated external defibrillator (AED) programmes has not been established through a prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 2149 high schools participated in a prospective observational study beginning 1 August 2009, through 31 July 2011. Schools were contacted quarterly and reported all cases of SCA. Of these 95% of schools confirmed their participation for the entire 2-year study period. Cases of SCA were reviewed to confirm the details of the resuscitation. The primary outcome was survival to hospital discharge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  School-based AED programmes were present in 87% of participating schools and in all but one of the schools reporting a case of SCA. Fifty nine cases of SCA were confirmed during the study period including 26 (44%) cases in students and 33 (56%) in adults; 39 (66%) cases occurred at an athletic facility during training or competition; 55 (93%) cases were witnessed and 54 (92%) received prompt cardiopulmonary resuscitation. A defibrillator was applied in 50 (85%) cases and a shock delivered onsite in 39 (66%). Overall, 42 of 59 (71%) SCA victims survived to hospital discharge, including 22 of 26 (85%) students and 20 of 33 (61%) adults. Of 18 student-athletes 16 (89%) and 8 of 9 (89%) adults who arrested during physical activity survived to hospital discharge.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High school AED programmes demonstrate a high survival rate for students and adults who suffer SCA on school campus. School-based AED programmes are strongly encouraged.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington, , Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Drezner
authors.forename: Brett G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Toresdahl
authors.forename: Ashwin L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: Ella
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Huszti
authors.forename: Kimberly G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Harmon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D047548:Defibrillators / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004638:Emergency Treatment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058687:Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012572:School Health Services; D013177:Sports / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013178:Sports Medicine / Q000295:instrumentation; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cardiology Prevention