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EDITORIALS: Alexis Descatha and Michel Baer Automated external defibrillators in the workplace BMJ 2008; 337: a1816 [Full text]

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AEDs are only as good as the provider.

Anna R Gregory   (22 October 2008)

AEDs are only as good as the provider. 22 October 2008
Anna R Gregory, FY2 Doctor Heart of England Foundation Trust Send response to journal: Re: AEDs are only as good as the provider.	The article by Descatha and Baer rightly points out the evidence of providing defibrillators within the workplace and elsewhere, along with the need for a training programme. The story below emphasizes that this need is just as great as having the AED in the first place. I recently found myself in the situation where a cardiac arrest occurred in front of my eyes in a shopping centre of around 310 stores. With all the recent literature on the benefit of defibrillators in such a place I expected there to be one to hand. Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in Europe affecting over 700,000 people each year.1 The chance of successful defibrillation declines at a rate of 7-10% with each minute of delay. I was told there was not a single AED in the centre, and unfortunately despite vigorous basic life support the person died before the ambulance crew could get him to a defibrillator. After this event I investigated to find there were in fact 3 defibrillators within the centre. The explanation given to me as to why I was not given one of them was that the training certificates for using the equipment had expired for the staff. 1. Sans S, Kesteloot H, Kromhout D. The burden of cardiovascular diseases mortality in Europe. Task Force of the European Society of Cardiology on Cardiovascular Mortality and Morbidity Statistics in Europe. Eur Heart J 1997;18:1231-48. Competing interests: None declared