Evaluation of local use of semiautomatic external defibrillators

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.