Automated External Defibrillator Pad Application Before EMS Arrival in Pediatric Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

What is the current rate of automated external defibrillator (AED) pad application before emergency medical service (EMS) arrival in pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), and is AED pad application associated with neurological outcomes? In this cohort study of 3352 pediatric patients with OHCA in Japan, AED pads were applied before EMS arrival in 5.5% of pediatric OHCAs, and AED pad application was provided more often at school and when bystander CPR was provided, but less often at home, at night, and among infants. AED pad application was associated with higher 1-month survival with a favorable neurological outcome after OHCA. These findings could serve as foundational data for formulating strategies to further increase AED pad application for pediatric patients with OHCA.

Corresponding Author: Aya Fukuzawa, PhD, MPH, Division of Environmental Medicine and Population Sciences, Department of Social Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Osaka, 2-2 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan (lycorisarin@gmail.com).

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