Abstract 340: Automated External Defibrillator Utilization After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest at Recreational Facilities in the United States

Abstract

Background: Given the importance of public access defibrillation, some U.S. states have passed laws requiring an automatic external defibrillator (AED) to be available on-site at athletic facilities. However, rates of bystander AED application during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in states with and without such laws remain unknown. Research Question: What are the rates of bystander AED application during OHCA at recreational facilities in U.S. states that mandate AEDs availability at such locations? Aim: To examine the rates of bystander AED application for OHCA at recreational facilities in states with and without laws mandating the presence of AEDs at athletic facilities. Methods: We included adults (≥18 years) in the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES) registry with a non-traumatic OHCA during 2013-2021 at a recreational facility in the U.S. The primary outcome was bystander AED application during OHCA. Secondary outcomes included survival to hospital admission and survival to hospital discharge. We examined the rates of bystander AED application and survival outcomes in states with laws that mandate AEDs at athletic facilities and in states without such laws. Results: Overall, there were 4,145 OHCAs cases at recreational facilities in 13 states that mandated AEDs at athletic facilities and 5,145 cases in 27 states that did not. In states with laws, the median rate of bystander AED application was 19.0%, with large between-state variation (IQR: 15.1%-22.0%). The median rate of survival to hospital admission was 44.5% (IQR 39.4%-56.9%) and survival to hospital discharge was 31.0% (IQR 25.2%-32.8%). In non-law states, the median rate of bystander AED application was 18.2% (IQR: 13.9%-25.0%). The median rate of survival to hospital admission was 45.0% (IQR 38.4%-52.1%) and survival to hospital discharge was 28.4% (IQR 25.9%-37.5%). Conclusions: Despite state laws that mandate on-site availability of an AED, rates of bystander AED application for OHCA at recreational facilities in such states remain low, with notable state-level variability. Our findings highlight that improving bystander AED application during OHCA will need to go beyond making AEDs available on-site.