National survey of awareness and training experience of automated external defibrillator

Choe, Michael Sung Pil; Lee, Mi Jin

J Korean Soc Emerg Med > Volume 30(4); 2019 > Article

Original Article

Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine 2019;30(4): 301-308.

전국 설문조사를 통한 자동심장충격기 교육현황과 저해요인 분석

최마이클승필¹

, 이미진²

¹차의과대학교 구미차병원 응급의학과
²경북대학교 의과대학 응급의학교실

National survey of awareness and training experience of automated external defibrillator

Michael Sung Pil Choe¹

, Mi Jin Lee²

¹Department of Emergency Medicine, Gumi CHA Medical Center, CHA University, Gumi, Korea
²Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea

Correspondence

Mi Jin Lee ,Tel: 053-200-6400, Fax: 053-428-2820, Email: emmam@knu.ac.kr,

Received: July 17, 2018; Revised: April 15, 2019 Accepted: May 7, 2019. Published online: August 30, 2019.

ABSTRACT

Objective:
Public concerns and awareness of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are essential for improving the survival outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in the community. On the other hand, the proportion of OHCA, in which AED is used in a prehospital setting, is very low in Korea. The aim of this study was to identify the barriers and training issues of AEDs.
Method:
A nationwide population-based survey was conducted to analyze the current public trends in AED awareness, training, and intention to use in 2017 (n=506). The barriers and training issues of AEDs were then documented. For trend analysis, previous tri-temporal surveys were obtained in 2007, 2011, and 2015.
Results:
Public awareness of AEDs has increased: from 5.8% in 2007, to 30.6% in 2011, 82.6% in 2015, and 79.4% in 2017 (P<0.001). The training experience of AEDs has increased over time: from 0.5% in 2007 to 8.2% in 2011 and 33.2% in 2017. Thirty-two percent of respondents knew how and where to find the AEDs, but only 12.5% were able to certainly locate their public-access AED near their residency or work places. The reasons for being unwilling to use the AED included not knowing how to use (65.0%), fear of causing harm to the victim (21.3%), and legal liability (11.7%).
Conclusion:
Not knowing the location of AED and how to use it, and being unaware of the Good Samaritan Law were the major barriers to public access defibrillation. Further research is urgently needed if AEDs are to be increased and more lives saved.

Key words: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation; Automated external defibrillator; Public health; Community surveys