| Summary: | Objective: The prevalence of paediatric cardiac arrhythmias is increasing, and management of some high-risk arrhythmias now involves giving the family an automatic external defibrillator (AED) to use in the case of their child experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. No earlier research has explored caregivers’ experiences of caring for a child with cardiac arrhythmia who has an AED. This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of caregivers caring for a child with cardiac arrhythmia who has an AED. Methods: In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven caregivers (two couples) across five interviews. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyse the data. Results: Four super-ordinate themes were identified and, due to word limit restrictions, three have been reported on here: the impact of cardiac arrhythmia on daily life, experiences of living with the AED, and experiences of hospital support. Conclusions: A greater understanding of caregivers’ experiences in this context will be used to inform services about how they can best support and meet the needs of children with cardiac arrhythmia who have an AED, and their families.
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