Abstract
Immediate resuscitation is required for any sudden cardiac arrest. To improve the survival of the patient, a device to be operated by witnesses of the event—automated external defibrillator (AED)—has been produced. The aim of this study is to analyze the way and correctness of use of automated external defibrillators placed in public spaces in Polish cities. The data analyzed (using Excel 2019 and R 3.5.3 software) are 120 cases of use of automated external defibrillators, placed in public spaces in the territory of Poland in 2008–2018. The predominant location of AED use is in public transportation facilities, and the injured party is the traveler. AED use in non-hospital settings is more common in male victims aged 50–60 years. Owners of AEDs inadequately provide information about their use. The documentation that forms the basis of the emergency medical services intervention needs to be refined. There is no mention of resuscitation performed by a witness of an event or of the use of an AED. In addition, Poland lacks the legal basis for maintaining a register of automated external defibrillators. There is a need to develop appropriate documents to determine the process of reporting by the owners of the use of AEDs in out-of-hospital conditions (OHCA).
Highlights
For 34 locations where an automated external defibrillator (AED) was used, the unit reported the fact to the distributor/manufacturer of the device (56.67%)
The predominant location of AED use is in public transportation facilities, and the injured party is the traveler
The documentation that forms the basis of the emergency medical services intervention needs to be refined
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Cardiovascular deaths are the most common cause of all registered deaths in Europe and the world, and the most common cause of all deaths recorded by the World Health. Organization (WHO) [1,2]. Economic development rates and industrialization have significantly started to affect the number of deaths due to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). According to Olson et al [3], sudden cardiac arrest accounts for more than half of all cardiovascular deaths and is the first sign of heart disease in 50% of these individuals
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