Manual external defibrillators can restart a stopped heart
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
confidence 98/100
Manual external defibrillators are standard medical devices utilized in advanced life support to deliver therapeutic shocks that terminate lethal shockable rhythms such as ventricular fibrillation, thereby restoring an organized heart rhythm.
Evidence for · 6
2015 ESC Guidelines for the management of patients with ventricular arrhythmias and the prevention of sudden cardiac death
2015 · cited by 3,913
Guidelines from the European Society of Cardiology discuss therapeutic strategies for ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac arrest where defibrillation is central.
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More for · 5
2022 ESC Guidelines for the management of patients with ventricular arrhythmias and the prevention of sudden cardiac death
2022 · cited by 2,974
Updated guidelines continue to outline the management and prevention of sudden cardiac arrest via defibrillation and pacing therapies.
Improving survival from sudden cardiac arrest: the "chain of survival" concept. A statement for health professionals from the Advanced Cardiac Life Support Subcommittee and the Emergency Cardiac Care Committee, American Heart Association.
1991 · cited by 1,521
The American Heart Association chain of survival highlights defibrillation as a primary intervention to improve sudden cardiac arrest survival.
Outcomes of Rapid Defibrillation by Security Officers after Cardiac Arrest in Casinos
2000 · cited by 1,486
Studies on rapid defibrillation confirm that prompt device use by trained personnel significantly improves survival from ventricular fibrillation.
Part 4: Advanced Life Support
2015 · cited by 1,395
International consensus on advanced life support reviews and recommends specific defibrillation strategies to terminate lethal cardiac arrhythmias.
Cardiac Arrest and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Outcome Reports: Update of the Utstein Resuscitation Registry Templates for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
2014 · cited by 1,045
Utstein reporting templates track emergency medical services system effectiveness, explicitly incorporating automated and manual external defibrillation metrics.