The general public's ability to operate automated external defibrillator: A controlled simulation study.

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Public Health
• Cardiology

Background:

• Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are critical for layperson-initiated defibrillation during cardiac arrest.
• Limited data exists on the general public's proficiency in operating AEDs.
• This study investigates layperson AED usability and the impact of training across different age groups.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess laypeople's ability to operate AEDs without prior training.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a 15-minute AED training session.
• To determine if AED operating skills differ based on age groups (18-24, 25-54, 55-65 years).

Main Methods:

• Prospective simulation study involving 94 lay participants (aged 18-65) with no prior AED experience.
• AED skills assessed pre-training, post-training, and at a 3-month follow-up using simulated cardiac arrest scenarios.
• Evaluation focused on critical actions, time intervals, and successful defibrillation delivery.

Main Results:

• Pre-training, only 14.9% of participants successfully delivered defibrillation; older adults (55-65) made more errors.
• Post-training, successful defibrillation rates significantly increased across all age groups (P<0.01).
• At 3 months, older adults (55-65) showed lower successful defibrillation rates (26.1%) compared to younger groups (54.8%-64.3%, P=0.02).

Conclusions:

• Most untrained laypeople are unable to effectively operate AEDs.
• A short training intervention significantly improves AED proficiency.
• Regular training and refresher courses are essential to maintain AED skills, particularly for older populations.