Sudden cardiac arrest is among the main causes of death in Europe, affecting 55 to
133 cases per 100 000 inhabitants
[
[1]
]. When the initial rhythm in cardiac arrest is ventricular fibrillation or pulseless
ventricular tachycardia, defibrillation is the treatment of choice and should be performed
as soon as possible
[
- Perkins GD
- Handley AJ
- Koster RW
- Castrén M
- Smyth MA
- Olasveengen T
- et al.
Adult basic life support and automated external defibrillation section collaborators.
Adult basic life support and automated external defibrillation section collaborators.
European Resuscitation Council Guidelines for Resuscitation 2015: section 2. Adult
basic life support and automated external defibrillation.
[2]
]. Therefore, in public facilities, including shopping malls, subway stations, offices,
universities, or airports, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are accessible,
which, after a short training, can be used by bystanders, not necessarily with medical
education. As research shows, people are able to properly apply an AED with the maintenance
of reasonable safety rules after a short training
[
- Kurowski A
- Smereka J
- Szarpak L
Are firefighters able to recognize ventricular fibrillation? Preliminary data.
Am J Emerg Med. 2016; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2016.06.050
[3]
]. Lay rescuers gain knowledge of AED usage during basic life support and automatic
external defibrillation courses, whereas medical faculty students should acquire this
knowledge during their medical studies.To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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References
- Adult basic life support and automated external defibrillation section collaborators. Adult basic life support and automated external defibrillation section collaborators. European Resuscitation Council Guidelines for Resuscitation 2015: section 2. Adult basic life support and automated external defibrillation.Resuscitation. 2015; 95: 81-99https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resuscitation.2015.07.015
- Are firefighters able to recognize ventricular fibrillation? Preliminary data.Am J Emerg Med. 2016; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2016.06.050
- Effectiveness of teaching automated external defibrillators use using a traditional classroom instruction versus self-instruction video in non-critical care nurses.Saudi Med J. 2016; 37: 429-435https://doi.org/10.15537/smj.2016.4.14833
Article Info
Publication History
Published online: June 22, 2016
Accepted:
June 15,
2016
Received:
June 15,
2016
Footnotes
☆Source of support: No sources of financial and material support to be declared.
Identification
Copyright
© 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
