Defibrillation pad positioning, cardiac arrest outcomes

A study has compared two defibrillation approaches in patients experiencing out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.

In the study, published in JAMA Network Open, investigators examined the efficacy of anterior-posterior vs. anterior-lateral defibrillator pad placement in 255 patients who experienced shockable out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.

Compared with those who received anterior-lateral placement, the investigators determined that the patients who received anterior-posterior placement had a higher likelihood of achieving return of spontaneous circulation. However, there were no statistically significant differences in pulses at emergency department arrival, survival to hospital admission, survival to hospital discharge or favorable neurologic outcomes at discharge between the two groups.

Further prospective studies will be needed to determine optimal initial defibrillator pad placement strategies to improve long-term survival and neurologic outcomes in this patient population.

Read more: JAMA Network Open

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