What was the outcome of the PAD Trial?
Between July 2000 and January 2002, 993 facilities were enrolled to participate in the study at 21 centers in the United States and 3 centers in Canada. Approximately 20,000 volunteers were initially trained. Follow-up in the study ended September 30, 2003. There were 44 total survivors from among the cardiac arrest patients, 15 in the CPR arm and 29 in the CPR+AED arm, nearly a two-fold improvement in survival with the use of the AED. Most successful resuscitations (42/44) occurred in the public units. Survival in large residential units was rare, and the AED offered no benefit. Serious adverse effects were rarely reported. No volunteers received inadvertent shocks, and no patients were shocked unnecessarily. AED maintenance problems were infrequent. A few participating volunteers reported severe stress related to responding to emergency situations.
