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Clinical Benefits and Legal Liability

Hannah England, BA; Paul S. Weinberg, JD; N. A. Mark Estes III, MD

JAMA. 2006;295:687-690.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Sudden cardiac arrest is the most common cause of death in the United States, accounting for an estimated 350 000 deaths annually, and it is a leading cause of disability and health care costs.^1-5 Life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias such as ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation usually cause sudden cardiac arrest.^6-14 Early defibrillation of ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation is necessary to resuscitate individuals with cardiac arrest, and survival depends directly on the time to defibrillation. Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) reduce the time to defibrillation and have improved survival rates.^6-14 Although clinical benefits of AEDs are established, individuals, institutions, and organizations implementing AED programs have faced a seemingly complex and evolving legal and regulatory landscape. However, compliance with relevant regulations minimizes legal risks of AED ownership, use, or medical oversight.^15-16 Healthcare professionals should be aware of the clinical benefits of . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Evidence Supporting AED Use

Author Affiliations: New England Medical Center, Boston, Mass.

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RELATED LETTERS

Benefits vs the Harms of Automated External Defibrillator Use
William M. Landau, Allan S. Jaffe, and Richard D. Wetzel
JAMA. 2006;295(24):2849-2850.
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Benefits vs the Harms of Automated External Defibrillator Use—Reply
N. A. Mark Estes, III, Paul Weinberg, and Hannah England
JAMA. 2006;295(24):2850.
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