Abstract Body: Introduction: Early defibrillation is a critical link in the chain of survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. However, bystander defibrillation rates are extremely low (<2% in North Carolina). Barriers to increasing bystander defibrillation rates and the reasons why bystanders rarely perform early defibrillation are not well-defined in North Carolina.

Objectives: To assess public awareness of AEDs in areas with an accessible AED. Specifically, we investigated whether the public knew the locations of nearby AEDs, how to use them, and whether they were willing to use an AED in the event of cardiac arrest.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional face-to-face survey study in two large cities in North Carolina (NC): Winston-Salem and Charlotte. The survey instrument consisted of a 14-item questionnaire, which was pre-tested before the study started. Survey locations were chosen based on the availability of a public AED within a radius of 900 feet or less, equivalent to less than a 3-minute round-trip run from the site. Only responders aged 18 years or older who regularly visited or worked in the area were included.

Results: In total, 94 surveys were completed, with 52 in Charlotte and 42 in Winston-Salem. The survey population consisted of 57.4% males (n=54), 42.6% Black individuals (n=40), with the most frequently reported age category being 25- to 34-year-olds (n=21). In total, 69.1% (95% CI 59.2% to 77.6%) of responders knew what an AED was, and 83.0% (95% CI 74.1% to 89.2%) were willing to use an AED in the event of cardiac arrest. However, only 23.4% (95% CI 16.0% to 32.9%) knew how to use an AED and 19.2% (95% CI 12.5% to 28.3%) knew where the nearest AED was (Table). Previous CPR training was common but did not identify subjects with greater awareness or understanding about the use of AEDs.

Conclusion: While a majority of respondents in our survey in urban NC were aware of what an AED was and were willing to use one, a concerning number lacked knowledge of how to use an AED and were unaware of an AED available within 900 feet of the assessment site. These results suggest areas in need for improvement in the current approach to public AED placement and signage.