Sweden faces accessibility issues with registered defibrillators

Two-thirds of Sweden's approximately 25,000 registered defibrillators are unavailable during evenings and weekends, a period when they are most needed. Research indicates that early CPR and rapid use of a defibrillator can more than double the chances of survival during a sudden cardiac arrest.

A Novus survey commissioned by Riksförbundet HjärtLung found that 94 percent of respondents want more defibrillators to be available 24/7, while only 22 percent currently know where the nearest one is located near their home.

Riksförbundet HjärtLung is calling for political action, including legislation to ensure all defibrillators in public operations are placed in weather-protected, alarmed outdoor cabinets accessible at all times. They also advocate for making registration in the Swedish defibrillator register mandatory for public entities to ensure emergency centers and volunteers have accurate information.