Skip to main content

Archived Comments for: Minimal instructions improve the performance of laypersons in the use of semiautomatic and automatic external defibrillators

Back to article

  1. Should the results of the study be implemented in the real situations?

    Andrej Zmavc, Community health care center Celje / Prehospital emergency medicine

    3 March 2005

    The study is very interesting but it has some important limitations at real life situations as well.

    Firstly - the medical students are definitely not representative for the general population (understanding the problem, interest and attitudes, etc.).

    Secondly - although the times to the first defibrillation, presented in the study, were surprisingly short, this tells us nothing about the most important issue in sudden cardiac arrest victims - prompt and effective chest compressions.

    Lastly - before implementing a defibrillator one (a lay person) must identify and recognize cardiac arrest and get the device. This usually takes a few minutes. Do we speak about very early defibrillation then?

    Competing interests

    None declared

Advertisement