Home defibrillators do or do not increase survival? What?

[irme]

Home defibrillators would be a fantastic idea if they cost couple hundred bucks and everyone could afford them. What is a more effective idea is the implementation of public education coupled with community placed AED’s that were available below the 8 minute mark of EMS arrival. Like I said above AED’s save lives for pt’s who generally have not cardiac arrested before more readily than they do the 80 year old with multiple co-morbidities!!

[BEorP]

I read the posted article out of the Chicago source. I am upset by the Chicago opinion stated. I am surprised me myself being from Chicago....that my home town would say that CPR...worked just as well...cause of people not knowing or using the AED's.

:roll:

[ccmedoc]

A couple more on the HAT trial...Home Automated External Defibrillator Trial

http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverag...Meeting/tb/8986

http://www.theheart.org/article/853245.do

It seems that I have about half a dozen journal articles on this now..They all say the same thing, thereabouts...

[firedoc5]

Do some of you "old guard" here remember when AED were first being introduced to BLS and ILS services, before being made to the public? One argument was that even when used and the patient was converted, if ALS was not there in just a few short minutes to give meds, i.e. Lido, Bret., they were going to revert back to the previous dysrhythmia/arythmia. So it was argued that just CPR was sufficiant until ALS got there. I never could make up my mind about it. Too good of arguments for both issues.

I now completely agree with AED's in public places like schools, offices, and such. But still ALS has GOT a short window to get there for complete "save". I might be wrong, but that's just what I've always thought.

[AnthonyM83]

I wouldn't think home defibrillators would have THAT great of a success rate, seeing as many people live alone or may collapse in room and not be noticed for five minutes. Just get the chest pounding going and call 911...