RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Prepared for sudden cardiac arrest? A cross-sectional study of automated external defibrillators in amateur sport
JF British Journal of Sports Medicine
JO Br J Sports Med
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine
SP 1171
OP 1174
DO 10.1136/bjsports-2013-092919
VO 47
IS 18
A1 Cronin, Owen
A1 Jordan, Joseph
A1 Quigley, Fionnuala
A1 Molloy, Michael G
YR 2013
UL http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/47/18/1171.abstract
AB Introduction Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a rare but tragic part of professional and amateur sport. Following multiple high profile deaths in professional sport over the past two decades, there has been a significant trend towards the widespread availability of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) at amateur sports grounds. Objectives To examine the availability of AEDs in amateur sports clubs in Cork, Ireland, and to investigate club practices with respect to the purchase, accessibility, maintenance and use of AEDs. Design A cross-sectional survey of 218 amateur Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), soccer and rugby clubs was conducted between July and September 2012. Club committee representatives answered a 22-point questionnaire. Results 126 GAA clubs and 28 soccer and 17 rugby (n=171) clubs were enrolled in this study. A total of 81.3% of amateur clubs own an AED. We estimate an AED-use rate of one AED use for every 54.5 years an AED is available. Almost 50% of club representatives thought the location of their club AED could be improved while 12.9% of clubs admitted to not maintaining their club AED on a regular basis. Conclusions A large proportion of amateur clubs in Cork City and County own an AED. Many clubs engage in regular maintenance and storage of AEDs. However, this study identifies several areas for improvement in facilitating a secure chain of survival for players in the event of an SCA.