SMS rescuers are usually the first on the scene in the event of cardiac arrest

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In the current study, the researchers investigated how AED use and CPR treatment were affected if first responders were instructed via SMS to retrieve the nearest AED using a map before heading to the scene of sudden cardiac arrest, compared to if they were alerted to perform CPR only.

The study showed that SMS rescuers were first on the scene and had an important role to play, that they used a defibrillator in a third of cases and provided CPR in almost half of all cases of cardiac arrest.

– We can say that SMS rescuers, regardless of the instructions to collect the nearest defibrillator or go directly to the person in cardiac arrest, can effectively provide life-saving assistance, while waiting for the ambulance, police or emergency services. We interpret this to mean that many of Sweden’s 130,000 text rescuers have a pacemaker on hand and decide for themselves the most appropriate strategy for the situation, he says. Elinor Berglundone of the authors behind the study and researcher at Cardiac arrest research center at the Karolinska Institutet.

Publishing

“Effect of sending volunteer respondents via smartphone on automated external defibrillators and out-of-hospital cardiac arrests: the Samba randomized clinical trial.Elinor Berglund, Jakob Hollenberg, Martin Johnson, Leif Svensson, Andreas Claesson, Annette Nord, Per Nordberg, Son Forsberg, Martin Rosenqvist, Peter Lundgren, Osa Hogstedt, Gabriel Riva, Matthias Ring, heart gammaonline November 30, 2022 doi: 10.1001/jamacardio.2022.4362