Presence and use of automated external defibrillators in occupational setting, Belgium

Objectives Few studies focus on out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the occupational setting. Therefore, this study describes the presence and use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) at Belgian workplaces during the period 2012–2014. Material and Methods A self-constructed questionnaire was developed and sent to internal prevention counselors. Results In total, 767 companies filled out the questionnaire. An AED was available in 48.8% of the companies. Presence mainly depended on the number of persons present in the company (both workers and non-workers (e.g., visitors, clients)) and on... Mehr ...

Verfasser: Mathieu Verbrugghe
Maurits De Ridder
Mouloud Kalaai
Katrien Mortelmans
Paul Calle
Lutgart Braeckman
Dokumenttyp: Artikel
Erscheinungsdatum: 2018
Reihe/Periodikum: International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, Vol 31, Iss 5, Pp 603-611 (2018)
Verlag/Hrsg.: Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine
Schlagwörter: emergency medicine / cardiopulmonary resuscitation / automated external defibrillators / AED / occupational health / out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest / Medicine / R
Sprache: Englisch
Permalink: https://search.fid-benelux.de/Record/base-28972402
Datenquelle: BASE; Originalkatalog
Powered By: BASE
Link(s) : https://doi.org/10.13075/ijomeh.1896.01169

Objectives Few studies focus on out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the occupational setting. Therefore, this study describes the presence and use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) at Belgian workplaces during the period 2012–2014. Material and Methods A self-constructed questionnaire was developed and sent to internal prevention counselors. Results In total, 767 companies filled out the questionnaire. An AED was available in 48.8% of the companies. Presence mainly depended on the number of persons present in the company (both workers and non-workers (e.g., visitors, clients)) and on some occupational cardiovascular risks but was often not based on a well-conducted risk analysis. Training of workers and AED maintenance were provided appropriately. An AED was used for shocking 23 times of which 10 persons survived. Conclusions Acquiring an AED in the occupational setting is seldom based on a well-conducted risk analysis. Therefore, instructions and criteria are needed to come to a rational decision. Furthermore, a registry on AED utilization in the workplace (e.g., with data on long-term survival) should be set up. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2018;31(5):603–611