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Automatic external defibrillators: changing the way we manage ventricular fibrillation
journal contribution
posted on 2000-04-17, 00:00 authored by K L Smith, P A Cameron, Anna PeetersAnna Peeters, A D M Meyer, J J McNeilOBJECTIVE: To discuss recent developments in automatic defibrillation and to review the evidence that first-responders equipped with automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) improve survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE search from 1966 to 1999 (articles in English only) and examination of bibliographies. STUDY SELECTION: Published studies of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and first-responders equipped with AEDs. Studies had to have a control group and to report survival to hospital discharge from ventricular fibrillation (VF). DATA EXTRACTION: Six studies met the selection criteria (two prospective randomised trials, two prospective controlled trials, and one cohort study and one retrospective study, both with historical controls). DATA SYNTHESIS: A random effects meta-analysis of odds ratios for survival from VF. CONCLUSIONS: Meta-analysis suggests that equipping first-responders with AEDs increases the probability of survival to hospital discharge after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (odds ratio, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.27-2.38; P < 0.001). However, most of the studies lacked sufficient power to draw definitive conclusions. Until the impact of wide deployment of AEDs is fully understood, first-responder defibrillation in Australia should only occur as part of coordinated multicentre research studies.
History
Journal
Medical journal of AustraliaVolume
172Issue
8Pagination
384 - 388Publisher
Australasian Medical Publishing CompanyLocation
Sydney, N.S.W.ISSN
0025-729XLanguage
engPublication classification
C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2000, Medical Journal of AustraliaUsage metrics
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No categories selectedKeywords
AustraliaAutomationElectric CountershockEmergency Medical ServicesEmergency TreatmentHeart ArrestHumansOdds RatioSurvival AnalysisTreatment OutcomeScience & TechnologyLife Sciences & BiomedicineMedicine, General & InternalGeneral & Internal MedicineHOSPITAL CARDIAC-ARRESTPUBLIC-ACCESS DEFIBRILLATIONAMERICAN-HEART-ASSOCIATIONSHOCK WAVE-FORMSLIFE-SUPPORTINITIAL EXPERIENCESURVIVALRESUSCITATIONSTATEMENTCOMMITTEE
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