Hospital-wide first-responder automated external defibrillator programme: 1 year experience

The first year experience with a hospital-wide first-responder automated external defibrillator (AED) programme implemented in a 683-bed University Hospital is reported. Throughout the hospital, 14 “AED access spots” were identified which could be easily reached from all wards and diagnostic rooms within 30 s. AEDs were installed (Lifepak 500; Medtronik PhysioControl Corp., Redmond, USA, equipped with a Biolog 3000i portable ECG monitor; Micromedical Industries Ltd., Labrador, Australia). Within 3 months, 120 medical officers, 750 nurses, and 50 administrative or technical staff underwent a 2 h training programme. An AED was applied and activated by nurses/medical staff before the cardiac arrest team arrived in 27 of 33 cases (81.8%) of witnessed cardiac arrest. The median time from onset of the emergency call to the activation of the AED (record of ECG) was on average 2.1 min (range 1.0-4.5 min). In 18 of 27 cases in which the AED was installed promptly, the primary arrest rhythm was either VT or VF, and the AED delivered a shock. For this subgroup, the rate of return of spontaneous circulation and the rate of discharge at home were 88.9 and 55.6%, respectively. This encourages us to extend the concept of first-responder AED-defibrillation throughout our hospital.