Abstract 109: Automated External Defibrillators Are Rarely Used for In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Denmark

Abstract

Introduction: Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are widely distributed in the pre-hospital setting and reported to reduce time to defibrillation and increase survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. During in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA), AEDs may allow for early defibrillation before the cardiac arrest team arrives with a manual defibrillator. However, the effect of AEDs for IHCA remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate AED usage and contribution to defibrillation before cardiac arrest team arrival during IHCA. Methods: We obtained data on IHCAs in 2016 and 2017 from the Danish nationwide registry on IHCA (DANARREST). Data included information on initial rhythm, type of defibrillator, time to first rhythm analysis, time to arrival of the cardiac arrest team, time to first defibrillation, and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Results: Of 4,496 IHCAs, AEDs were used in 421 resuscitation attempts (9%). Time registrations were excluded for 6 non-shockable IHCAs due to errors in registration. Of the 421 IHCAs, 82% (n=347) were non-shockable and 16% (n=68) were shockable (data missing for 6 IHCAs). ROSC was achieved in 46% (n=158) of patients with non-shockable rhythms and 59% (n=40) of patients with shockable rhythms. For IHCAs with a shockable rhythm and usage of an AED, rhythm analysis was performed before arrival of the cardiac arrest team in 50% (n=34) of cases and defibrillation with an AED were performed in 46% (n=27) of the cases. Patients with shockable rhythms defibrillated before arrival of the cardiac team, more often achieved ROSC compared to patients defibrillated after cardiac arrest team arrival (p=0.0024). Data regarding time registration are shown in the table. Conclusion: AEDs are used in approximately 1 of 10 resuscitation attempts in Danish hospitals and contribute to defibrillation before arrival of the cardiac arrest team in 1 of 14 cardiac arrest patients.