The objective of this study was to evaluate the use and the effect of an automated external defibrillator(AEDs) by emergency medical technicians(EMTs) in prehospital cardiac arrest.

After application of exclusion criteria, 293 patients who transported to emergency center of our hospital after cardiac arrest in consecutive 36 months from Jan, 1, 2003 to Dec, 31, 2005 were included in this study. We reviewed the 119 rescue service records and the hospital chart of the patients including, demographic data, types of eletrocardiogram(ECG) rhythms, witness of arrest, cause of arrest, basic life support(BLS), use of AED, transport time, time intervals from cardiac arrest to the advanced cardiac life support(ACLS), and return of spontaneous circulation(ROSC).

The mean age was 56.1±21.8 years with 185 males and 108 females. Time intervals from cardiac arrest to ACLS were 27.2±18.1 minutes and 259 patients(88.4%) were transported by EMTs. AEDs were used by EMTs in 119 patients(45.9%) and 20 patients(8.6%) were defibrillated. After ACLS, 17 patients experienced ROSC and 2 patients survived until discharge. There were no statistical differences in the ROSC rate between the patients transported by EMTs and those by non-EMTs(p=0.067), between the group of AED used and of no-AED used(p=0.116).

The use of AEDs by EMTs was still low and the effect of AEDs and BLS by EMTs were not significant in ROSC.