Defibrillation in the movies: A missed opportunity for public health education

• Published in: Resuscitation 2014-12, Vol.85 (12), p.1795-1798
• Main Authors: Mgbako, Ofole U, Ha, Yoonhee P, Ranard, Benjamin L, Hypolite, Kendra A, Sellers, Allison M, Nadkarni, Lindsay D, Becker, Lance B, Asch, David A, Merchant, Raina M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Automated external defibrillator (AED); Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR); Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation - education; Defibrillation; Electric Countershock; Emergency; Emergency Medical Services; Entertainment; Female; Health Education - methods; Humans; Male; Movies; Resuscitation quality; Retrospective Studies; Television; United States; Ventricular Fibrillation - therapy
• ISSN: 0300-9572; 1873-1570
• DOI: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2014.09.005

Abstract Aim To characterize defibrillation and cardiac arrest survival outcomes in movies. Methods Movies from 2003 to 2012 with defibrillation scenes were reviewed for patient and rescuer characteristics, scene characteristics, defibrillation characteristics, additional interventions, and cardiac arrest survival outcomes. Resuscitation actions were compared with chain of survival actions and the American Heart Association (AHA) Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC) 2020 Impact Goals. Cardiac arrest survival outcomes were compared with survival rates reported in the literature and targeted by the AHA ECC 2020 Impact Goals. Results Thirty-five scenes were identified in 32 movies. Twenty-five (71%) patients were male, and 29 (83%) rescuers were male. Intent of defibrillation was resuscitation in 29 (83%) scenes and harm in 6 (17%) scenes. Cardiac arrest was the indication for use in 23 (66%) scenes, and the heart rhythm was made known in 18 scenes (51%). When the heart rhythm was known, defibrillation was appropriately used for ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation in 5 (28%) scenes and inappropriately used for asystole in 7 (39%) scenes. In 8 scenes with in-hospital cardiac arrest, 7 (88%) patients survived, compared to survival rates of 23.9% reported in the literature and 38% targeted by an AHA ECC 2020 Impact Goal. In 12 movie scenes with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, 8 (67%) patients survived, compared to survival rates of 7.9–9.5% reported in peer-reviewed literature and 15.8% targeted by an AHA ECC 2020 Impact Goal. Conclusion In movies, defibrillation and cardiac arrest survival outcomes are often portrayed inaccurately, representing missed opportunities for public health education.