Getting a defibrillator to people suffering cardiac arrest can save lives, but it must happen quickly New data shows that every minute of delay lowers the odds for survival by 6% Making automated defibrillators readily available to the public is one way to speed resuscitation times MONDAY, Oct. 28, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Every minute spent waiting for a first shock from a defibrillator cuts the odds of surviving cardiac arrest by 6%, a new Dutch study finds. "Our research shows that every minute of delay in giving the first shock has a major impact," said study first author says Remy Stieglis , a researcher at Amsterdam University Medical Center (UMC).
"If the first shock was given within six minutes, it was possible in 93% of the cases to stop the heart rhythm disorder ventricular fibrillation (VF) -- which causes the cardiac arrest," he explained in a hospital news release. "If the initial shock was delayed and was only given after more than 16 minutes, for example, this percentage dropped to 75%." Steiglis' team drew on data from an ongoing study in North Holland on cardiac resuscitation.
The data focused on 3,723 patients who'd had a cardiac arrest anywhere outside of a hospital and in the presence of a witness. Getting a defibrillator on scene is crucial to saving lives in these scenarios. "After a successful shock [defibrillation], VF is terminated and changes to a normal heart rhythm or a completely absent heart rhythm (asystole)," said study co-author Christian van .
