title: Employment and residential characteristics in relation to automated external defibrillator locations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is generally poor and varies by geography. Variability in automated external defibrillator (AED) locations may be a contributing factor. To inform optimal placement of AEDs, we investigated AED access in a major US city relative to demographic and employment characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This was a retrospective analysis of a Philadelphia AED registry (2,559 total AEDs). The 2010 US Census and the Local Employment Dynamics database by ZIP code was used. Automated external defibrillator access was calculated as the weighted areal percentage of each ZIP code covered by a 400-m radius around each AED. Of 47 ZIP codes, only 9% (4) were high-AED-service areas. In 26% (12) of ZIP codes, less than 35% of the area was covered by AED service areas. Higher-AED-access ZIP codes were more likely to have a moderately populated residential area (P = .032), higher median household income (P = .006), and higher paying jobs (P =. 008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The locations of AEDs vary across specific ZIP codes; select residential and employment characteristics explain some variation. Further work on evaluating OHCA locations, AED use and availability, and OHCA outcomes could inform AED placement policies. Optimizing the placement of AEDs through this work may help to increase survival.
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA. Electronic address: heathermgriffis@gmail.com.
authors: Heather M
authors: HM
authors: Griffis
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA.
authors: Roger A
authors: RA
authors: Band
authors: Department of Geography, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO.
authors: Matthew
authors: M
authors: Ruther
authors: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Harhay
authors: Penn Medicine Center for Innovation, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA; The Wharton School, the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA; The Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA.
authors: David A
authors: DA
authors: Asch
authors: The Wharton School, the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
authors: John C
authors: JC
authors: Hershey
authors: The Wharton School, the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
authors: Shawndra
authors: S
authors: Hill
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA.
authors: Lindsay
authors: L
authors: Nadkarni
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA.
authors: Austin
authors: A
authors: Kilaru
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA; Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA.
authors: Charles C
authors: CC
authors: Branas
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA.
authors: Frances
authors: F
authors: Shofer
authors: University of Washington-Harborview Center for Prehospital Emergency Care, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
authors: Graham
authors: G
authors: Nichol
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA.
authors: Lance B
authors: LB
authors: Becker
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA; Penn Medicine Center for Innovation, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Electronic address: raina.merchant@uphs.upenn.edu.
authors: Raina M
authors: RM
authors: Merchant
mesh_terms: D016208:Databases, Factual; D047548:Defibrillators / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D004554:Electric Countershock / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D004651:Employment; D006801:Humans; D058687:Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest / Q000628:therapy*; D012042:Registries; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States