Implementation of Double Sequential Defibrillation (DSD): An Aotearoa New Zealand Observational Study
Date
Authors
Dicker, Bridget
Callejas, Pablo
Hutchinson, Heather
Todd, Verity F
Swain, Andy
Garcia, Elena
Shaw, Brayden
Tseng, Bruse
Maessen, Sarah
Supervisor
Item type
Journal Article
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Double sequential defibrillation (DSD) was introduced in Aotearoa New Zealand Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in October 2023 for refractory ventricular fibrillation (VF) and ventricular tachycardia (VT). Its usage, paramedic's adherence to guidelines, and clinical impact remain uncertain. This study aimed to (1) compare demographic and clinical characteristics between pre- and post-DSD implementation periods, including subgroup analysis of DSD versus no-DSD (NDSD) patients post- implementation, and (2) evaluate survival outcomes across all subgroups, including early- and late-DSD. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study used data across two 18-month periods: pre-period (April 2022-September 2023) and post-period (January 2024-June 2025). All cardiac arrests receiving more than three prehospital defibrillations were included. Post-period analyses compared NDSD and DSD patients, with DSD classified as early-DSD (≤3 shocks before DSD) or late-DSD (>3 shocks before DSD). Chi-Square and Mann- Whitney U tests assessed group differences, and logistic regression examined associations with survival outcomes. RESULTS: Among 1,401 patients (pre-period n=663; post-period n=738), no significant difference in ROSC or 30-day survival was observed (p>0.05). Forty-three percent of patients received DSD. Compared with NDSD, adjusted models showed lower odds of ROSC with any-DSD (aOR 0.59, 95%CI 0.41-0.85) and late-DSD (aOR 0.46, 95%CI 0.30-0.71). Similar results were seen for 30-day survival. Early-DSD showed no significant associations. CONCLUSIONS: No survival benefit was observed after DSD implementation. Lower survival among DSD patients may reflect confounding due to its use in patients with the poorest prognosis. Further research is needed to clarify optimal timing and drivers of DSD use.Description
Keywords
EMS, cardiac arrest, out of hospital, paramedic, refractory, ventricular fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, 1103 Clinical Sciences, 1110 Nursing, 1117 Public Health and Health Services, Emergency & Critical Care Medicine, 3202 Clinical sciences, 4205 Nursing, 4206 Public health
Source
Resuscitation, ISSN: 0300-9572 (Print); 1873-1570 (Online), Elsevier, 111138-. doi: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2026.111138
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© 2026 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons CC-BY license, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. You are not required to obtain permission to reuse this article.