Document Detail


Dispatcher assistance and automated external defibrillator performance among elders.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  11581083     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVES: Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) provide an opportunity to improve survival in out-of-hospital, ventricular fibrillation (VF) cardiac arrest by enabling laypersons not trained in rhythm recognition to deliver lifesaving therapy. The potential role of emergency dispatchers in the layperson use of AEDs is uncertain. This study was performed to examine whether dispatcher telephone assistance affected AED skill performance during a simulated VF cardiac arrest among a cohort of older adults. The hypothesis was that dispatcher assistance would increase the proportion who were able to correctly deliver a shock, but might require additional time. METHODS: One hundred fifty community-dwelling persons aged 58-84 years were recruited from eight senior centers in King County, Washington. All participants had received AED training approximately six months previously. For this study, the participants were randomized to AED operation with or without dispatcher assistance during a simulated VF cardiac arrest. The proportions who successfully delivered a shock and the time intervals from collapse to shock were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The participants who received dispatcher assistance were more likely to correctly deliver a shock with the AED during the simulated VF cardiac arrest (91% vs 68%, p = 0.001). Among those who were able to deliver a shock, the participants who received dispatcher assistance required a longer time interval from collapse to shock [median (25th, 75th percentile) = 193 seconds (165, 225) for dispatcher assistance, and 148 seconds (138, 166) for no dispatcher assistance, p = 0.001]. CONCLUSIONS: Among older laypersons previously trained in AED operation, dispatcher assistance may increase the proportion who can successfully deliver a shock during a VF cardiac arrest.
Authors:
R Ecker; T D Rea; H Meischke; S M Schaeffer; P Kudenchuk; M S Eisenberg
Related Documents :
10660963 - Primary coronary angioplasty in acute myocardial infarction excluded from thrombolysis:...
2478983 - Metabolic changes and mitochondrial dysfunction early following transthoracic countersh...
3335053 - Effects of calcium channel blocker on responses of blood flow, function, arrhythmias, a...
Publication Detail:
Type:  Clinical Trial; Comparative Study; Journal Article; Randomized Controlled Trial; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine     Volume:  8     ISSN:  1069-6563     ISO Abbreviation:  Acad Emerg Med     Publication Date:  2001 Oct 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2001-10-02     Completed Date:  2001-12-04     Revised Date:  2006-11-15    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  9418450     Medline TA:  Acad Emerg Med     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  968-73     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Export Citation:
APA/MLA Format     Download EndNote     Download BibTex
MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Age Factors
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Cohort Studies
Defibrillators, Implantable* / psychology
Electric Countershock / instrumentation,  psychology
Female
Heart Arrest / complications,  psychology,  therapy
Humans
Male
Mental Competency / psychology
Middle Aged
Time Factors
Ventricular Fibrillation / complications,  psychology,  therapy
Washington / epidemiology

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


Previous Document:  Electrocardiographic ST-segment elevation: the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction by morpholog...
Next Document:  The effect of written informed consent on detection of violence in the home.