Acute cardiac care & resuscitationCohort study
Automated External Defibrillator Availability, Accessibility, and Usability in High-Risk Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Neighborhoods of Birmingham, Alabama
- descriptive observational study
Authors' conclusion
Despite exceeding the recommended AED density, limited public accessibility and maintenance issues substantially reduce effective AED coverage in Birmingham. Reporting effective AED density, which accounts for hours of access, reveals gaps between device presence and real-world accessibility.
Study context
- Population
- Potential public AED sites (properties other than single-family residences) in 3 Birmingham, Alabama neighborhoods with the highest relative out-of-hospital cardiac arrest risk, June 12 to August 27, 2025potential AED locations identified, 284 (99%) contacted and provided data
- Participants
- 287 participants
- Exposure
- Observed and effective AED densities compared with the recommended 5 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) per square mile
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
AED availability
AEDs reported
Fifty-six
Locations with AEDs
43 locations (15.1%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
AED accessibility
- Of the 56 AEDs, not publicly accessible
- 19 (33.9%)
- Publicly accessible AEDs
- 37
- Of the 37 publicly accessible AEDs, available 24 hours per day
- none
AED usability
- Of the 37 publicly accessible AEDs, usable condition
- Thirty-five (94.6%)
- Of the 37 publicly accessible AEDs, at risk
- 5 (13.5%)
- Of the 37 publicly accessible AEDs, inoperable
- Two (5.4%)
AED density
- Observed density of publicly usable AEDs
- 13.5 AEDs per square mile
- Effective density
- 3.7 AEDs per square mile
- recommended 5 AEDs per square mile
Original publication
Automated External Defibrillator Availability, Accessibility, and Usability in High-Risk Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Neighborhoods of Birmingham, Alabama. Circ Popul Health Outcomes. Published 4 September 2026. doi:10.1161/circoutcomes.126.013429
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it