Public defibrillators save lives, especially when they are readily accessible. That’s the conclusion of a study conducted in Japan between 2005 and 2007. Automated external defibrillators, known by the acronym AEDs, can be found in airports, malls, sports venues and other public locations. These devices are designed to quickly determine if someone who has fainted is suffering a potentially fatal cardiac arrest brought on by a heart rhythm disturbance called ventricular fibrillation. Once that determination is made the AED can shock the heart back into a more normal rhythm.
In the Japanese study it was discovered that when people experienced cardiac arrest and were not shocked, only 14 percent survived one month after the event. If, on the other hand, bystanders used an AED to revive people who suffered cardiac arrest, 32 percent survived and experienced virtually no brain damage. The researchers also noted that in areas where the automated defibrillators were available, survival improved. The message for public health officials seems to be that making AEDs more widely available and alerting the public to their benefits could save thousands of lives each year.
[New England Journal of Medicine, March 18, 2010]
The People's Perspective on Medicine