Placing defibrillator pads on the chest and back, rather than the usual method of putting two on the chest, increases the odds of surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by 264%, according to a new study.
https://newatlas.com/medical/defibrillator-pads-anterior-posterior-cardiac-arrest-survival/
4 Comments
I’ve linked to the news release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2823184
From the linked article:
New defib placement increases chance of surviving heart attack by 264%
Placing defibrillator pads on the chest and back, rather than the usual method of putting two on the chest, increases the odds of surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by more than two-and-a-half times, according to a new study.
Sadly, the odds of surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) are low. While circulation is returned in 30% of cases, only 10% survive. However, when a cardiac arrest is due to ‘shockable’ heart arrhythmias, those odds are improved by rapid defibrillation – applying electrode pads to the chest to deliver an electric jolt to shock the heart back into normal rhythm.
The researchers’ findings suggest that ‘sandwiching’ the heart between the two defib pads, front and back, may deliver electrical current more broadly to the heart, making resuscitation more effective. However, they note that AP positioning might not always be possible.
I’ve take CPR classes for 8 years now. I’ve only ever been taught chest and back method. Or side and chest method. I thought chest only had been depreciated.
Paramedic and ER nurse here. This is intetesting because no matter where the pads are, everything we’ve always been taught and the only thing I’ve actually ever experienced with anyone who was in cardiac arrest and truly made a recovery (resuscitation, return of spontaneous circulation, and discharge from hospital) is when the arrest is witnessed and immediate CPR and early defibrillation for arrhythmias occurs.
The survival odds are based on pretty much just that, witnessed arrest, early and immediate cpr/defib. Just like Demar Hamlin’s case in the NFL. Full recovery.
If there is a shockable rhythm, I’ve honestly never seen a stubborn shockable rhythm that didn’t either convert after defib or turn into PEA or asystole. Maybe, if the pads were on front and back a shockable rhythm converts more often to a stable sinus rhythm.
Also probably somewhat difficult to do that to a full grown adult to be fair.