Abstract
Background
Emergency medical services (EMSs) are used by approximately 383,000 patients with
out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in the United States. Hence, it is crucial
to implement automated external defibrillator (AED) programs to prepare responders
for an SCA emergency. Taiwanese pass legislature to enforce AED installation in 8
mandatory areas since 2013. Our study investigated the efficacy of the policy regarding
AED installation.
Materials and methods
We collected data of patients who had sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in pre-hospital
settings, and received resuscitative efforts, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation
or defibrillation with AEDs. The data were from July 11, 2013 to July 31, 2015. In
total, 209 adult patients were documented by on-site caregivers of different facilities,
and a report was mailed to the central health and welfare unit.
Results
Schools, large-scale gathering places, and special institutions used AEDs the most,
accounting for 33 (15.3%) cases. From non-mandatory AED areas, long-term care facilities
had the maximum cases of AED use (32 cases; 14.9%). With commuting stations as a reference,
long-distance transport had the lowest odds ratio (OR) of 0.481 (95% confidence interval
[CI], 0.24–0.962). The OR for schools, large-scale gathering places, and special institutions
was 4.474 (95% CI: 2.497–8.015). Regarding failure of return of spontaneous circulation
(ROSC), the OR for the ≥80-year age group was higher than that for the 20–39-year
age group.
Conclusions
The policy regarding the legislation to install AEDs in mandatory areas improved AED
accessibility. Elderly patients aged ≥80 years have a higher rate of ROSC failure.
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: October 20, 2018
Accepted:
October 19,
2018
Received in revised form:
October 1,
2018
Received:
August 4,
2018
Identification
Copyright
© 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
