Evaluation of local use of semiautomatic external defibrillators

Ballesteros Peña S

Objective: To evaluate a program to implement use of semiautomatic external

defibrillators in a local basic life support unit, including a description of patient

characteristics and the main factors leading to events that required out-of-hospital

resuscitation maneuvers.

Methods: Retrospective study analyzing cases of cardiac arrest in which the first

responders were from a local basic life support unit. Cases were those attended during

the first 4 years following the unit’s acquisition of semiautomatic defibrillators. We

recorded epidemiologic variables and early survival after resuscitation; we them assessed

associations between failure to resuscitate and risk factors.

Results: In 105 cases of cardiac arrest the unit attempted 87 resuscitations;

cardiomyopathy was the presumed cause of the arrest in 88.5% of these cases in which

resuscitation was attempted. Resuscitation was attempted by a bystander only twice.

Ventricular fibrillation was found initially in 14.9% of the patients and was associated

with a lower risk of failure (odds ratio, 0.09; 95% CI, 0.02-0.23). In 10.3% of the events,

the patient was transported to a hospital after circulation had returned.

Conclusions: The basic life support unit’s rate of successful cardiopulmonary

resuscitation is similar to that of advanced life support services in the same local

community. These success rates are low, however. Survival was higher in patients who

had ventricular fibrillation on initiation of resuscitation.

Ballesteros Peña S