Now Able to Defibrillate a Heart Without Interruptions in
Resuscitation
ZOLL Medical Corporation (Nasdaq GS: ZOLL), a manufacturer of
resuscitation devices and related software solutions, announced today
that the ambulance service, RAV Gooi en Vechtstreek in Hilversum, The
Netherlands, is the first EMS organization to equip its ambulances with
a revolutionary new system that allows rescuers to defibrillate a heart
without the need to stop chest compressions.
The real-time integrated operation of the new AutoPulse® Plus
and the E Series® coordinates the ability to provide
consistent, uninterrupted chest compressions with timed shock delivery.
Integrating these two therapeutic interventions into a seamless rescue
effort has long been viewed as critical to advancing resuscitation care.
Stopping chest compressions during defibrillation results in a rapid
fall in coronary perfusion pressure. Both the AutoPulse Plus and the E
Series have the CE Mark; however, the new AutoPulse Plus does not yet
have 510(k) FDA clearance in the U.S.
“Our evaluations of this integrated system demonstrated that we are able
to maximize the likelihood of shock success and minimize no flow time,”
said Frank Berg, Manager of Operations of RAV Gooi en Vechtstreek. “This
technological solution could be significant to improving outcomes from
sudden cardiac arrest.”
“Avoiding interruptions in defibrillation is among the highest
priorities in resuscitation care. With timed shock delivery, which is
the ability to deliver the treatment at the optimum time during the
compression cycle without stopping CPR, another important step forward
in improving survival from sudden cardiac arrest has been taken,” said
Jonathan A. Rennert, President of ZOLL.
Like the current AutoPulse, the new AutoPulse Plus helps provide the
consistent, uninterrupted chest compressions called for by the European
Resuscitation Council Guidelines. It is an automated, portable device
with an easy-to-use, load-distributing LifeBand® that
squeezes the entire chest, improving blood flow to the heart and brain
during sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).
The AutoPulse offers a significant advantage over manual CPR because it
moves more blood, more consistently, than is possible with human hands.
AutoPulse delivers high-quality, uninterrupted chest compressions to
maintain myocardial and cerebral perfusion.
