Implementation of Automated External Defibrillators on German Merchant Ships

The outcome of sudden cardiac arrest depends on the “chain of survival” 1 : ... Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) have proven valuable in out‐of‐hospital settings close to definitive care institutions like airports, casinos, and cruise ships—sites with a high density of both potential victims and resuscitators. 2–4 In contrast, AEDs save very few lives in residential units such as private homes or apartment complexes. 5 The benefit of AEDs in remote areas without available qualified medical follow‐up, such as most merchant ships, is unknown and controversial. 6 The Federal Republic of Germany has decided that AEDs with EKG display and transmission means must be present in all German‐flagged merchant vessels in intermediate and long‐distance trade by the end of 2012. Because there is only one German‐registered cruise ship and most ferries are exempt from this rule, nearly all AEDs will be on ships with few crew members, of whom virtually none will have any knowledge of advanced cardiac life support.