Dr. Dianne Atkins’ primary research interest is cardiac arrest in children, drawing particular attention to ventricular fibrillation and the need for defibrillation. Although less common than adults, rapid defibrillation results in better outcomes and neurologic function compared to non-shockable rhythms. She was one of the first to promote and assist with the development of pediatric adaptations for AEDs. In 2022, she published an ILCOR systematic review of AED use in children showing improved survival when AEDs are applied. Using data from Get-With-The Guidelines-Resuscitation, she confirmed the appropriate energy defibrillation dose, still never experimentally tested, for children. She has published 150 peer-reviewed publications.
She has served on the Pediatric Task Force since 2003 and the Science Advisory Committee of the International Liaison Committee for Resuscitation since 2019 . She has co-authored over 30 publications and web documents with ILCOR, including systematic reviews, scoping reviews, and the annual ILCOR Update. Additionally, Dr Atkins has been part of the AHA Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee(ECC) since the late 1990s and has served on the Pediatric Life Support Subcommittees, as Chair of the Science Subcommittee and Chair of ECC. She has participated in every CPR update since 2000.
She is a founding member of the Rotary-Kerber HeartSafe Community Campaign, begun in 2019, which has trained over 500 people in CC-CPR and AED use. At the start of the pandemic when in-person CPR training was not possible, the Campaign shifted its emphasis to supplying AEDs to non-profits and faith communities with a cost-sharing program. This provided a $1500 package that included the AED and wall cabinet to the organizations for $500. We have delivered over 100 units and now have expanded to provide 24/7 units to the municipalities in our county. We have placed over 50 of these 24/7 units in areas of high cardiac arrest risk. Other accomplishments of the Campaign include earning HeartSafe Community status and launching PulsePoint in Johnson County.
Dr Atkins received her medical education at the Johns Hopkins University, followed by a Pediatric residency at the University of Kentucky and a Pediatric Cardiology fellowship at the University of Iowa. Spending her entire career at the University, she is now a Professor Emerita of Pediatrics. Her clinical interest is children with heart rhythm abnormalities, especially those with inherited arrhythmia syndromes, which puts them at higher risk of cardiac arrest.