Home Defibrillators Do Not Increase Survival

U.S. researchers said on Tuesday that having a defibrillator at home does not protect heart attack survivors against a cardiac arrest any better than having someone at home with good cardiopulmonary resuscitation training.

They presented the results of their study of devices known as automated external defibrillators or AEDs used in the home at a meeting of the American College of Cardiology in Chicago. When stationed in public places such as airports, AEDs have helped people survive sudden cardiac arrest, when the heart stops pumping blood. Without immediate treatment with a defibrillator or a bystander who knows CPR, most die within minutes.

As about 80 percent of sudden cardiac arrests occur at home, researchers wanted to see if putting defibrillators in the home could save lives.

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