Study on automatic external defibrillators deployed at general supermarkets

Abstract

Purpose: This study was to propose effective deployment of automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) installed at general supermarkets. Research design, data, and methodology: We conducted interview and data surveys on 72 large distributors in Seoul and Gyeonggi province in South Korea. The content of this survey was consisted of general status on the general supermarkets, AED deployment and management regarding public access defibrillation (PAD). G*Power (v 3.1.9.4; Universität Kiel, Kiel, Germany) was also used to analyze statistical power. Radius and actual distance, radius and retrieval time were compared by t-test at α=.05. respectively. Results: Difference between the radius (102.7 meters) and the actual distance (187.8 meters) was 85.1m, it had statistically significant difference (p<.001). The actual distance was longer compared to the radius distance. Difference between the radius (114.1 seconds) and the retrieval time (208.7 seconds) was 94.6s, it had statistically significant difference (p<.001). The retrieval time took longer compared to the radius time as well. Conclusions: The finding shows that only 45.9% of the general supermarkets are satisfied with the actual AED coverage within 3 minutes. This needs to enhance AED deployment to reduce defibrillation time and AED management to boost application in South Korea. © 2019 Korean Distribution Science Association (KODISA).