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| |  Automated External Defibrillators Can Be Used for Children: Presented at AAP By Nora Steiner Mealy SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- November 1, 2007 -- Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) can be life-saving not only for adults but also for children and infants with cardiac arrest caused by ventricular fibrillation, according to a report presented here at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition. The AAP released a clinical report and policy statement on October 29 to promote awareness about the applicability of AEDs in the paediatric population for the same indications as adults. AEDs were not tested in children and teenagers, and early models were not designed with features to accommodate this population. "We now know that children also suffer cardiac arrest from ventricular fibrillation, and that if they are defibrillated, have improved survival similar to adults," said the report's lead author David, Markenson, MD, Director of the Center for Disaster Medicine at the School of Public Health, New York Medical College School of Public Health, and Chief of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, New York, United States. Dr. Markenson said the report will appear in the November 2007 issue of the journal Pediatrics. Most AEDs now have features applicable for use in children, but Dr. Markenson emphasised that in an emergency, if an available device provides only one dosage level, it should be used for infants and children. "Models designed only for adults are not ideal for children but the potential gain outweighs the risks," he said. Current delivery that is too high may damage the heart, he explained, but children seem to be able to tolerate a heart injury better than adults. Communities planning to purchase an AED for areas where children may be present should choose a model that is designed to be used for people of all ages, Dr. Markenson recommended. In places with an existing AED that is designed for adults, people should be made aware that the device can be used for infants and children. The AAP policy statement includes specific recommendations for implementing rescuer AED programs in schools. Priority for establishing programs in schools is highest for large schools, schools used for community gatherings, schools at the greatest distance from emergency medical services response, and schools that are attended by the largest number of adolescents and adults, such as high schools and trade schools, the report states.
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