EVALUATING YOUNG ADULT PERSPECTIVES RELATED TO EARLY BYSTANDER DEFIBRILLATION

Abstract

In order to improve survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), bystander defibrillation is imperative. Nationally, however, only 9 percent of patients who arrested in a public space in 2020 had an automated external defibrillator (AED) applied before medical personnel arrived on scene. The aim of this study was to understand why young adults might not apply an AED in response to a witnessed OHCA. A mixed methodology study was conducted to first quantify the baseline knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and AED use among young adults. Subsequently, qualitative data was obtained from focus groups to identify common barriers to early defibrillation and to discover interventions that might improve a bystander’s confidence to use an AED. Quantitative data was obtained using a Qualtrics survey distributed to students enrolled in select General Education courses at the University of Arizona, Tucson. Based on those responses, some students were invited to participate in the focus groups. The Qualtrics survey generated 431 responses, and 266 of those students (61.7 percent) had participated in a CPR training course at some point. While 57.9 percent of CPR-trained individuals felt confident about how to use an AED, only 32.7 percent were certain they would apply an AED before EMS arrived on scene. Of the CPR-trained individuals who were invited to participate in focus groups, only 28 students completed a session. Among those 28 students, 57.1 percent felt confident about how to use an AED, but only 42.9 percent believed they would follow through with device application. Potential barriers to early intervention included lack of confidence, inability to pinpoint the location of an AED, fear of litigation, or simply not realizing that defibrillation was time sensitive. Potential solutions included creating media campaigns that reinforce the simplicity of AED operation, building public AED registries, rehearsing CPR skills at more regular intervals with modalities that are free, fast, and convenient, and clarifying/enacting legislation that guarantees bystander protection. Realizing the significance of early defibrillation, young adults agreed that bystander involvement is necessary. They gauged that many of the barriers which preclude eyewitness involvement in OHCA would be eliminated by employing smartphone technology and/or garnering legislative support.