Cardiac arrest & resuscitation
Automated External Defibrillator Pad Application Before Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Arrival in Pediatric Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
Authors' conclusion
In this cohort study from Japan, approximately 5% of pediatric patients with OHCA received AED pad application before EMS arrival, and AED pad application was associated with higher odds of 1-month survival with a favorable neurological outcome.
Study context
- Population
- Pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients aged 0 to 17 years with resuscitation attempted before EMS arrival, Japan, 2021–2023analysed
- Participants
- 3,352 patients
- Exposure
- Automated external defibrillator (AED) pad application before EMS arrival vs none; factors associated with AED pad application
- Outcome
- AED pad application before EMS arrival; 1-month survival with favorable neurological outcome (cerebral performance category 1 or 2)
Methodological detailsnationwide, population-based, registry (All-Japan Utstein Registry), multivariable logistic regression
- Nationwide
- Population-based
- Registry (All-Japan Utstein Registry)
- Multivariable logistic regression
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
AED pad application before EMS arrival
Adjusted odds ratio (95% CI)
Infants vs Adolescents
0.28(0.13–0.47)
Younger children vs Adolescents
0.22(0.10–0.49)
Home vs Another public area
0.06(0.03–0.11)
Nighttime vs Daytime
0.52(0.33–0.82)
School vs Another public area
6.74(3.73–12.21)
Bystander CPR
28.69(12.91–63.75)
- AED pad application before EMS arrival, overall
- 185 (5.5%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | aOR (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-month survival with favorable neurological outcomeAED pad application vs Non-AED pad application | 3.11 (1.30–7.44) | |
| 0.10.31310Adjusted odds ratio (log scale) |
1-month survival with favorable neurological outcome
| aOR (95% CI) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ventricular fibrillation as first documented rhythm | 27.49 (13.95–54.19) | |
| 0.050.21520Adjusted odds ratio (log scale) |
Original publication
Automated External Defibrillator Pad Application Before EMS Arrival in Pediatric Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest. JAMA Netw Open. Published 1 July 2026. doi:10.
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