SADS Foundation :: Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes Foundation

The results of a new research study called HAT (Home Use AED Trial) have now been published in the New England Journal of Medicine.  The article documents how effective AED use is compared with CPR in people with a history of myocardial infarction.

According to the research, the use of AEDs does not significantly increase the likelihood of surviving a heart attack, when compared with rescuers performing CPR.  There are however, some severe limitations to the study that may or may not explain these conclusions and that definitely make it unrealiable for people and families with SADS conditions.

SADS' Position on AEDs in response to the HAT Study

The SADS Foundation would like to voice its strongest possible support of the importance of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) in the clinical management of patients diagnosed with the Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) and other SADS conditions. Based on our evaluation and review of the available literature, we believe that an AED is warranted and medically necessary for young people with SADS conditions. The HAT (Home Automatic External Defibrillator Trial) study is not applicable to young people with conditions that carry a high risk of life-threatening arrhythmias, such as long QT syndrome.