Boston Integrates AED Database with EMS Dispatch
On Wednesday April 22, 2009, Boston EMS added an exciting new enhancement in its ability to save the lives of more cardiac arrest patients. The "AED Alert" allows Boston EMS call takers to identify the locations of hundreds of AED units all over the city.
Boston EMS has trained thousands of people in CPR and the use of automatic external defibrillators. Boston EMS RTQI (Research, Training, and Quality Improvement) has developed an extensive database of AED locations during these training sessions. In conjunction with Boston EMS Dispatch Operations and their CAD (computer aided dispatch) vendor (Northrop Grumman), this database has now been entered into the system used to enter EMS calls. When Boston EMT telecommunicators enter an EMS call at an address with an AED, an urgent message appears advising that there is an AED on site. The telecommunicator can then instruct the caller to retrieve the unit and apply it to the patient.
The database is very specific and multiple locations with a single building are also identified. The warning might say "1st floor lobby next to men's room" or "3rd floor lunchroom". Our intention is to not only give CPR instructions by phone, but to utilize the defibrillators that are on the walls of businesses, public buildings, and stores all over the city.
Bystander CPR is critical. Early CPR and defibrillation have been shown to increase survival in patients who suffer sudden cardiac arrest. We hope that this addition to our system will save more lives in conjunction with first responders, Boston EMTs, and paramedics who respond to the scene.
This has been a collaborative effort involving people from all bureaus at Boston EMS. Saving lives is our mission and we continue to look for ways to improve our ability to do that every day. Boston EMS has one of the highest cardiac arrest "save" rates in the country and we hope to raise the bar even further.
