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A study in the August Annals of Emergency Medicine finds that the Lifepak 500 defibrillator is accurate for infants and children experiencing cardiac arrest.
"AEDs, developed based on adult heart rhythms, were thought to be inaccurate when interpreting rapid heart rhythms of children and too powerful for children," said lead author Dr. Elizabeth Atkinson of Indiana University. "But our study puts worries about accuracy to rest and clearly demonstrates this lifesaving technology can differenti- ate 'shockable' from 'nonshock-able' rhythms in infants and small children."
Children in the study ranged in age from one day to seven years and were being treated at Vanderbilt University Medical Center for medical conditions, including congenital heart defects, asthma, motor vehicle-related injuries, firearm injuries, and toxic ingestion. Some of the 203 children were undergoing open-heart surgery during the time the trial was conducted.
Researchers found the AED was 99.1 percent accurate with the conventional placement of pads on the child's chest and 99.4 percent accurate with placement of the pads on the child's chest and upper back.
"AEDs were designed to be used by nonmedical personnel such as police, flight attendants, and other indi- viduals who have received basic training in CPR and know how to use this technology to save a life," said Dr. Atkinson. "It is very important more people are trained as AEDs become more prevalent in public venues."
Last month, new research data prompted the American Heart Association to issue new guidelines recommending that AEDs can be used safely on children ages one to eight.
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