As expected, time to treatment, i.e. witnessed events, resulted in better survival rates. Although not truly intended for it, the most frequent use of the AED was as a monitoring device for passengers with potential cardiac-related complaints. In no instance was the rhythm the only reason for diverting. Other international airlines have been carrying defibrillators for several years, but information regarding their experiences is not readily available in the literature. Defibrillators are a common sight in most medical settings.
Early defibrillation is the standard of care therapy for patients in ventricular fibrillation.
Recently, greater emphasis has been placed on having defibrillators available throughout the community. To achieve this goal, several companies have been developing AEDs that can be easily used outside the hospital setting without extensive training. Emergency medical systems have been using AEDs in communities throughout the country since the mid-1980s. Their results have varied, but, in general, they have found that a rapid-response team equipped with an AED can improve survival rates from cardiac arrest. Not surprisingly, time to arrive on-scene is consistently the more important contributing factor, but AED availability does seem to significantly improve outcomes.