Abstract
Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are an important part of the chain of survival and provide a valuable first response to cardiac arrest. The National Defibrillator Programme instigated the installation of AEDs across England, but there is a need for greater local evidence concerning their installation. The aim of this study was to investigate the current status of AED provision within a single district in a county located in southwest UK. A mixed-methods study was undertaken including a quantitative survey and qualitative interviews. In total, 182 surveys were completed and seven interviews were undertaken with participants representing local organisations. Less than one third of organisations had installed AEDs and people were not clear about where the nearest AED was situated. Further awareness must be raised in order to develop public knowledge and confidence concerning the location, role and use of community AEDs.
Highlights
Introduction Automated ExternalDefibrillators (AEDs) are an important part of the Chain of Survival and provide a valuable first response to cardiac arrest
Limited evidence currently available concerning the provision of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in community settings of limbs (Department of Health, 2013) and encompasses a range of conditions relating to the heart and blood vessels including Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), stroke, atrial fibrillation, heart failure and cardiomyopathy (BHF, 2014b), estimating to cost the UK economy £18 billion annually by 2020 (CEBR, 2014)
Despite decreases in cardiovascular deaths between 5.2% and 12.8% in some parts of the European Union (EU) (Roth et al, 2015), cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the UK’s biggest killer with Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) and stroke accounting for the majority of deaths (BHF, 2014a; Nichols et al, 2012)
Summary
Defibrillators (AEDs) are an important part of the Chain of Survival and provide a valuable first response to cardiac arrest. Limited evidence currently available concerning the provision of AEDs in community settings of limbs (Department of Health, 2013) and encompasses a range of conditions relating to the heart and blood vessels including CHD, stroke, atrial fibrillation, heart failure and cardiomyopathy (BHF, 2014b), estimating to cost the UK economy £18 billion annually by 2020 (CEBR, 2014). Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) provide a valuable first response to cardiac arrest and have been recommended as an important public resource due to the higher survival rate of those who receive defibrillation after suffering a cardiac arrest (Department of Health, 1999; Hallstrom et al, 2004). Research concerning the 681 AEDs placed in 110 public places between April 2000 and November 2002 found that of the initial 250 deployments, 182 were confirmed as cardiac arrests, with five per cent of the 177 witnessed cases surviving to hospital discharge (Whitfield et al, 2005)
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