Automated external defibrillator use during cardiopulmonary resuscitation during flight

Automated External Defibrillator (AED) during cardiopulmonary resuscitation should reduce mortality rate after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. We report a case of defibrillation with AED during flight in a patient suffering cardiac arrest complicating an acute myocardial infarction. Two hours before landing, a 56-years-old man presented sudden cardiac arrest. Flight attendants performed basic cardiac life support. including AED. Five shocks were delivered. After landing, acute myocardial infarction was diagnosed and treated by prehospital thrombolysis and angioplasty with favorable outcome. AED is a crucial link of the chain of survival, especially where advance cardiac live support cannot be performed, like during flight. Despite an increasing AED availability, survival after cardiac arrest during flight remains exceptional. (C) 2003 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.