Impact of Automated External Defibrillator as a Recent Innovation for the Resuscitation of Cardiac Arrest Patients in an Urban City of Japan

CONTEXT/AIMS: We retrospectively analyzed the characteristics of prehospital care for cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) to identify the predictors of a good recovery (GR) among the recent changes in the management of Japanese prehospital care. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This study was a retrospective medical chart review. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We reviewed the transportation records written by emergency medical technicians and the characteristics of prehospital management of out-of-hospital (oh) CPA described by the Sunto-Izu Fire Department from April 2016 to March 2017. The cases were divided into two groups: a GR group (cerebral performance category of 1–3 at 1 month after CPA) and a poor recovery (PR) group. RESULTS: During the analysis period, there were 545 cases of CPA. The average age in the GR group (n = 19) was significantly younger than that in the PR group. The proportions of patients with witnessed collapse, automated external defibrillator (AED) executed by a bystander, ventricular fibrillation during prehospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), defibrillation-induced cardioversion, cardiogenic arrest, and oh-return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) were significantly greater in the GR group than in the PR group. The proportions of telephone CPR conducted by operator, instrumentally secured airways, and administration of epinephrine were significantly smaller in the GR group than in the PR group. A multivariate analysis showed that the significant predictors of GR were bystander AED, ROSC, not instrumentally secured airway, and younger age. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that patients with CPA who were younger, underwent AED executed by a bystander, and obtained oh-ROSC had a higher chance of a favorable outcome.