New app locates public AEDs in cases of sudden cardiac arrest

TOKYO, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Developers of a new mobile application say it can help people locate public automated external defibrillators faster in the case of sudden, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

The American Heart Association reports a group of Japanese researchers from Kyoto University and Coaido will present their app, AED-SOS, at the association's Scientific Sessions on Monday.

AED-SOS is designed to help bystanders find the lifesaving devices faster. AED-SOS, currently geared toward Japanese users, transmits an SOS signal from the location where it is activated to notify potential co-rescuers to deliver the nearest AED.

Community-based AEDs can be difficult to locate and deliver in an emergency, even when community members know there is an AED nearby. In addition to alerting nearby co-rescuers of a cardiac arrest, the app provides the shortest route to the nearest AED.

Researchers report the app cuts the amount of time it takes to successfully treat out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by almost a third. Among 52 people analyzed, a group using AED-SOS took an average 133 seconds from recognition of cardiac arrest to AED delivery compared to a 202-second response time for a group not using the app. Using data collected from scenario experiments, researchers believe the online tool could increase survival during crucial moments of a heart attack.