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A faster transition from CPR to defibrillation may mean more people survive cardiac arrest, say researchers at Norway's Stavanger University College.
The time it takes for an AED to analyze a heart rhythm, charge, and deliver a shock is called the "hands-off" interval because CPR chest compressions must stop during that period.
Researchers grouped 156 patients with a life-threatening heart-rhythm condition called ventricular fibrillation according to their initial chances of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and calculated the probability of successful defibrillation at 5, 10, 15 and 20 seconds into each of the hands-off intervals. They then compared the calculated probabilities with the actual rates of ROSC for the medium-level and high-level groups.
Data suggest that seconds saved translated to improved survival. Patients with the highest initial chance of ROSC might have had a ROSC rate as high as 50 percent. Within five seconds, their estimated ROSC rate dropped to 25 percent; after 15 seconds to 15 percent; and after 20 seconds, it was 8 percent.
AED manufacturers are already working to shorten the hands-off interval. The findings emphasize the need for rescuers to practice their CPR and AED skills to ensure a swift switch from CPR to defibrillation.
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