Governance and Maintenance of Public Automated External Defibrillators in Lebanon
Hassan Maatouk, RN, MSN, Amal Al Hajje, PhD, Salam Zein, PhD, Samar Noureddine, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN
Abstract
Aims: The study aims were to identify how institutions that acquired automated external defibrillators (AEDs) manage cardiac arrests, and barriers to the use of these devices. Methods: A cross sectional survey of employees and managers of 75 institutions that had AEDs was conducted using interviews. The questionnaire addressed experiences with arrests, resuscitation practices and challenges, factors associated withandbarriers to the use of AEDs. Results: The institutions surveyed experienced on average 3.2 cardiac arrests/year. Most institutions did not document the arrests nor had guidelines to manage them. Most institutions trained their employees in resuscitation and use of AEDs but not regularly.Two thirds of the institutions got the AED either as donation or because it was recommended by a physician, and more than 50% kept the device under lock. The most frequent barriers to use of AEDs are their cost, believing that only health professionals can operate them and lack of knowledge about them. In the multivariable regression analysis, barriers to using AEDs were predicted by placing the device in a closed area. Conclusion: To reduce mortality and morbidity following cardiac arrests, a government sponsored public access defibrillation program and community training in resuscitation and AED use are recommended.
Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/ijhs.v11n2a13
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