P1702ARIADNA: first steps in the development of a collaborative initiative to create a map of automated external defibrillators and improve survival in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Spain
Authors: Garcia-Izquierdo Jaen E , Martin-Munoz C , Orozco-Legaza V , Iniguez-Romo A , Anguita-Sanchez M , Fernandez-Lozano I 
Published: October 2019

Background

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Although some geographical variation in the incidence of OHCA can be found, clinical outcomes are globally poor, with an expected percentage of survival to hospital discharge below 10% worldwide. Up to 60% of public OHCAs present with ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. Early OHCA recognition and early defibrillation are key elements to increase the chances of survival with a favorable neurological outcome. To make this possible, easy access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) must be warranted. Public AED programs have been implemented worldwide and have shown a significant improvement in survival and better functional outcome after OHCA. However, installation of public-access AEDs without linking them to responders appears to be meaningless and might not improve survival.

Ariadna is the first collaborative approach to improve survival in OHCA in Spain. Endorsed by the Spanish Society of Cardiology and the Spanish Red Cross, Ariadna is a smartphone app that aims to create a map of all available AEDs within the Spanish territory using GPS functions available on smartphones. This app is also directed at establishing the first national network of lay responders trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). In the future, this network will serve as an enhancing tool to provide a rapid response to OHCA under the coordination of the emergency medical services.

Purpose

To analyze the preliminary results in terms of dissemination and implementation of Ariadna in the first months after the release of the final version of the app.

Methods

Ariadna app is available for free on iOS and Android. Users can sign up as “seekers” to locate and validate AEDs within the Spanish territory. All AEDs are displayed on a map, including those pending validation. “Seekers” who provide proof of valid CPR training can become “responders” and agree to be alerted in case of OHCA nearby in the future.

In this preliminary analysis, the number of registered users along with the amount of registered and validated AEDs were retrieved from the app database.

Results

The final version of app was released September, 8, 2018. Since then and until February 2019, Ariadna has recruited 10846 users. A total of 3975 AEDs have been registered, 1037 of which (26%) have received validation from at least a different user. These numbers represent a growth rate of 70 new users and 26 new AEDs every day.

Ariadna App growth in numbers

Conclusion

Ariadna has experienced an exponential growth in the first months of functioning and is already helping raise awareness for cardiac arrest in Spain. This proves the social engagement and successful dissemination of this collaborative initiative. Every effort will be made to progressively increase the number of users and registered AEDs in order to link them to trained responders and finally improve survival in cardiac arrest.

Acknowledgement/Funding

Financial support from the Spanish Society of Cardiology